Bring Me Back To The World Of Light
by nayssa
Summary: Inverse Mirror, AU: Think of the kind version of Sasuke and a dark Naruto, the result of years of hatred. Meeting at the border between shadow and light, which one belongs to where? Dark secrets shown in paintings and lies covered by an innocent smile.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: I do not own Naruto.

this is my first story so please go easy on me. also please review. any suggestions are welcome as my current knowledge in some matters are still limited.

please point out any mistakes (I did double check several times, but I am an airhead)

warning: this story might prove a bit violent at some point so if u're squeamish or underage, don't read it

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><p><strong>1. Prologue<strong>

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><p>He hates the world, he really does.<p>

He struggles; one day he is happy to be alive, but on the other he wishes he could be dead. Perhaps in death he would find more happiness.

Ever since that night when his life ended in flames, he has never been able to smile again, to trust anyone only seeing hate and deceit in every person out there. And thus each day his soul became darker.

So many times he wished to die and so many times he couldn't do it. His mother's wish has been like a curse to him, driving him on, giving him a reason to not give up. His life was no longer his to take. It now belonged to his mother who sacrificed herself to keep him alive. And it became the most precious memory of her, the most precious gift and his ultimate duty to keep her wish fulfilled.

But he was alone, with nobody to comfort him and left to fend for himself at the age of eight.

"I'm sorry" was the most common phrase he heard whenever someone approached him. His father has been a brave officer and his mother a good detective, but now that they were suddenly gone, nobody stepped forward to care for him. Who would put their house and family in danger when there was the possibility of someone still out there that might come for his neck?

Thus he learnt to hate this world where everything was so fake.

Months later there was still no answer and the culprits were never caught. He was given a rundown apartment and a monthly pension to keep him fed for the sake of his parents services to the state.

"Go to school, be a good boy and let the adults solve this. We will catch the criminals soon."

But they never did and as time passed the chances to do so were even lower, despite the fact that the criminals were right there, in town. He saw them every day as by now he knew what his parent were investigating ad the reason of their death. Evidence was lost and with no real proof, nothing could be solved. Their death became another tragic "accident" for which the authorities felt sorry.

And while the lawyers handed him papers to sign with money accounts, property handling and so on, more interested in money then in his well being, nobody took notice of the fact that he was still alone, scared, hurt and unprotected.

Every night, the nightmares of flames returned and his mother's voice could be heard over the roar of the flames, "Go, Naruto, get out of here, get as far away as possible, baby and stay alive!" He could still see her trapped as everything came down. Nothing remained but ashes.

Her voice was like a reminder, constantly telling him of her sufferance and a reminder that the person who made her suffer was still not caught.

What use was his soul if it was eaten away by pain and regret every day? He refused to forgive and accept his parents' death, because forgiving meant forgetting and he couldn't forget what happened, every day being a reminder of his tragedy. Pain taught him to stand on his own and not be afraid anymore until he swore he would get his revenge.

A year later he applied for a school transfer and signed the sheets to going to a school abroad, then in the last minute cancelled the entrance to the other school and just disappeared, his previous school thinking he left and the other one thinking he returned.

Thus he stopped going to school. He changed his name reasoning that he had no guardians to look for him and it was for security reasons.

Then later on, he picked all his money and put them in a bank account with his previous name and left them there for later. He didn't need anything that would remind him of the past to the place he was going.

He died his hair and bought two pairs of contact lenses those he wore with him locked in a necklace that he never let out of his sight.

He was nine, just a lonely miserable skinny child, but one with a broken heart and with a fierce determination. He knew what he was facing when he turned the corner to a rundown warehouse with thugs smoking whatever, playing dice and making bets, comparing their muscles or talking whatever the hell they were talking at that time: money, women, drugs, killings.

He knew that place from his dad's reports, for this was the area he was investigating before his death. And he knew why they never caught the criminals. Corruption and money were the greatest sins for a man of law. But he was just a kid and couldn't change anything.

He picked his bag and walked down the road, locking his emotion inside and praying. If there was a God up there then he would get alive out of this and get his revenge. The sun was setting and as he looked at the bloody red orb, he knew it would be a long time before he would see it again.

He was stopped several meters before even getting close.

"What's the rush kid? Where are you going?"

He looked up with what he hoped were his most hateful eyes.

"Take me to your boss" he ordered.


	2. Chapter 2

**2. World of Light**

_years later_

He picked his bag and walked out the door.

Quick check before leaving: keys, phone, wallet, iPod and the canvas.

He locked his door and headed down the shaky staircase to the street.

He had an exhibition that day and he didn't want to be late so he left a bit earlier.

He always displayed without showing his name and he didn't want to be caught putting his painting on the wall otherwise people would know him.

There was a reason for that.

He wasn't looking for attention and being anonymous he thought was the best way to not attract any unwanted questions about his paintings. Not that anyone has actually been able to decipher them until now. He was a good listener and although he heard the topic several times in discussions, people were still thinking it was some abstract art. Because there was no title, it gave them nothing to actually connect to the image to a theme or an indication to what the painter was thinking.

He loved painting for it was the only and most honest way of talking. He wouldn't have been able to convey what was in his mind or any of his memories in words. By painting, he was laying down his thoughts, like a journal and a memory for those he has seen to pass in front of his eyes or by his own hands; a way to honour their soul.

This town was the same, the same shops and the same people.

The sun was shining, mirroring reflections in a play of lights on the pavement while some pigeons were fighting for a crumb of bread. People were carrying their heavy bags, picking newspapers, and heading to work hurriedly, concentrated on their way, oblivious of anything around them. He loved this part of this world; he could be invisible and feel alone and at peace despite being surrounded by hundreds of people.

It still amazed him how could people be so carefree sometimes. This was the world of light, the one he left behind a long while ago. And now, finding himself on the surface again, he still couldn't get adjusted. Every smile was fake; every movement had a hidden intention. So he preferred to not be involved with anyone in any way instead of giving in to paranoia. He could never get rid of this feeling of being followed and watching his back.

As he turned he saw some girls looking his way, blushing and the rapidly discussing with each other, laughing, while still looking at him from time to time. This was paranoia. He continued walking, dismissing them easily.

It was still peaceful. And it's been so for the past year, the group still not showing any signs of wanting to reclaim this town. He was still safe for now.

He got in front of the gates and slipped in absently, still lost in his thoughts. The school building was still empty at this hour. His legs carried him automatically to the gallery space, where he stopped, noticing another person who was already there, hanging their own painting. Must be one of his colleagues since they were the only ones having an exhibition today. The guy finished hanging his canvas and then turned his head, staring at him surprised, clearly not expecting to see anyone this early.

Naruto stopped in his tracks. By not putting his painting on the wall now meant he would have to come back later and all the people would find him out. Better now with just one person. Maybe the other student will keep his mouth shut and not blabber to everybody that he knew who the anonymous displayer was. Of course, he could just drop it and not display at all. But he has been seen already so the result would be the same regardless. And he still had to pass this course as well.

He shook his head, like chasing the thoughts out of his mind, and preceded with unwrapping his canvas and placing it on the wall, a considerable distance from the other student, hoping the guy would not have to say anything. Apparently, his wishes were made to be totally ignored.

"Naruto, right? That's a nice painting."

He froze in the middle of wiring up the canvas to the nails that were already there and cursed his slow movements this morning.

He murmured a thanks and he hoped that nothing else would follow. He then stepped back to see if the canvas was straight while the other was still watching him. He tried to ignore the black haired teen standing by his side, observing his work.

"What does it represent?" came another annoying question.

And how much he hated that question. He turned his full attention on the guy, taking his appearance in for the first time. He was a skinny being who liked to emphasise the fact that he was skinny with tight leather pants and loose white sleeveless shirts. He almost looked like a woman. In fact looking at his face more carefully, he was unsure. He did wear mascara and his nails were painted black. His hair was shinning in the light, sitting up on his back, while long bangs were framing his beautiful face. His skin was the palest colour he has ever seen, wondering if the guy or whatever used an umbrella to shade himself from sunlight and lived in a house with no windows. This guy was a neat freak, too concerned with his appearance, selfish and who loved attention. It wouldn't have amazed him if the black haired was one of the best talked idols in college.

Coming back to earth after his psycho analysis that determined that the guy was the type he hated the most in the world, he turned his attention on the painting. He has been working on it for a long time. It was a woman, whose womb has been cut and the child ripped out of her and strangled to the point that blood came out of its mouth. In addition, the child's eyes have been gouged out and left dangling off its little skull, in a pool of blood making it the perfect nightmare doll. He remembered vomiting when he first saw that and getting in a fit of cries and having nightmares for days. The woman still appeared in his dreams sometimes, looking for her baby. That sicko who did it was one of the first people he killed. He still remembered the bastard laughing sickly on his last breath "you'll be next Naruto, one day you'll realise the beauty of tearing everything down till the last bit of blood, piss and mucus comes out." And the punishment afterwards...

He shuddered.

"I don't know. You'll have to figure that one out yourself" he answered maliciously.

The boy was staring at him, an odd look in his eyes.

"You have a really sick mind, you know that?" he commented

Naruto was not expecting this. He returned the look, arching an eyebrow. What did he say? Can he actually see what's in the paintings? His heart tightened. He has been quite used to the fact that nobody knew anything. But now that someone actually deciphered the paintings, he didn't know what to say or how to react. They were bound to ask questions and want to know more about him.

"What do you see?" he asked sounding just as indifferent as ever.

The guy shrugged before turning his eyes on the canvas.

"A mother, her womb slashed... and her baby... her baby is dead in a pool of blood with the eyes hanging out of his skull..." he then turned to me, visible disturbed and angry "how can you paint something like that?"

He was actually amazed there for a moment. But before answering, he walks to his colleague's painting, in an attempt to collect himself and come with a decent answer, weighting all the possibilities.

The painting surprised him and in the same time it was exactly what he expected. His colleague lived in this bright world. His painting was a mass of yellow and white, framing this one person, and made that human shape almost angel like, his head crowned by the sun and his wings made of clouds. Despite that aspect, there was no face given to the person. He suddenly remembered seeing a similar painting a month back, the same theme with the blond person of the world of light. It kind of reminded him of himself, and how he was still feeling so alien after years of living in prisons, clubs, drugged and beaten; only coming out at night and always on the move.

The name of the painting read: "made of light" and his colleagues name was Sasuke Uchiha. That name rang a bell. He did hear it often in conversations. The girls in this college were dead after him. Bu he also read about the Uchiha Corporation as a technology development company known internationally. As he thought initially, this guy was the type he hated the most: a rich bastard who had the whole world at his feet. And now that same bastard was looking at him accusingly waiting for an answer.

Without giving an answer, he picked his bag and left, without a care, leaving the other to stare after him with a frustrated look and smiling slightly at the brunette's annoyed face. He walked up to the attic, having another several hours before the teachers would finish with assessing the work and give feedback. He still had sleep to catch up and right now the quiet attic with the old leather sofas were oddly inviting.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: This is work of fiction. I not own Naruto.

I was really surprised when I got the one review and my story was added to favourites by a few people. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it :D

Well this chapter is longer and I hope it meets ur levels of satisfaction :P

reading through the previous chapter, I was a bit surprised by my own words and my way of thinking a few weeks ago; I realised that now that I set on a certain path, I should keep up to it. Still, I really forced myself to write this chapter, going into psychological thinking sort of mode, analysing every angle before putting it down this way. Please review and correct me. I read this piece several times but I have the feeling that I lost track in certain paragraphs. It makes sense to me, but maybe not to others. Don't know how many ppl noticed but English is not my first language.

Enjoy and please give me some feedback.

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><p><strong>3. Temptation<strong>

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><p>It was quiet this morning. Naruto has made a point of keeping away from the other guy all week, not giving him a chance to even see him. It seems his secret place in the school attic was still unknown. Well he did have a copy of the key just in case, courtesy of a made up reason that he wanted to paint the view from the top floor. By the time he realised the potential of having the whole floor just for himself, along with the eerie quietness and the old dusted furniture, he stormed out of the college coming back later with a secret copy. But it wasn't like the place wasn't always open anyway. Only that now, it belonged to him.<p>

He loved to be there in silence while immersing into the image he was trying to recreate from memory onto the canvas. The fact that nothing moved, meant that there was no reason to be alert and any sound would be heard well before anyone would have a chance to get to him. Being there for the past year, made it his favourite place compared to the hustle of the college and the only time of the day he was truly at peace and relaxed. Painting was the other factor that kept him sane. It was a silent communication to a lifeless friend: the canvas, which was absorbing his thoughts, without restraint while guarding them in layers of coloured paint. He could almost forget about all his worries while recreating those abstract gruesome images, his mind only focusing on his hand movements and the details without really caring about the subject.

Another finished canvas, another person remembered. It wasn't as if he was trying to make his painting abstract deliberately, choosing to cover them with random bits of colour or distort the bodies of the victims. He painted what he saw at those moments of fear and madness. And what did he really see when a person died? His paintings concentrated on bits of the body that had been desfigurated, a silent scream or a petrified expression, a tickle of blood, a bit of flesh sticking out or torn material and debris. All he remembered were these horrifying details. Thus his paintings were a mess when all put together, but it was that which made that body unique, and the only way for him to differentiate one person from the other: the woman with the glass bottle in her chest, the man with his throat slashed, the child with no legs and so on.

Part of the reason why his mind was so twisted was that at the beginning of his life an underdog, he was taken as a sort of errand boy for the sickest person in his entire organisation that worked as a second advisor to the boss himself. They called him the Slasher, not necessary because of his abilities to kill, but because he was always there with a knife, slashing the flesh of his victims. He never knew his original name, but just resumed to call him Slash. The bastard was nothing special, those under him always immobilizing the victims, leaving him to kill them slowly in the most gruesome ways. He called it art and even arranged the dead bodies afterwards, sometimes ripping an arm or taking the eyes out, or spreading the insides all over the dead body. As a kid, Naruto has been forced to watch many times, sometimes even asked to do some of the torture himself. That was how he always looked at those gruesome details in his victims. Slash has forced him to look, to observe, pointing out details and what made his every piece so beautiful. Refusal meant beatings and he remembered drinking himself senseless afterwards and not moving for days. The killings didn't happen often, most of the times it was just torture. But for a kid of his age at that time, it was enough to terrorize him for the rest of his life. It was no surprise that several years later, when the guy was preparing for the killing of a cop and his family, he finally took action and beheaded the individual with an axe. First of all, because he somehow he has not forgotten his purpose after all those years of pain and death and because he didn't want another unfortunate soul to end up like him. The cop was killed in the end regardless of his efforts, but at least it was a rapid death, and his family was unharmed being placed under police protection.

Slash's laughter was still ringing in his ears even today. He has been right to a certain effect. Naruto has never practiced the same methods, refusing firmly to let the other be right about him. But the curiosity was there. His way of painting was a solid proof to that. He never saw the people, but what they could become, if their bodies were cut, ripped opened at different points. And his paintings were exploring that theory, remembering details from Slash's work and reproducing them.

What would happen then when the imagination ran out? When he has finished painting all those people? He didn't want to think of that now, for the thought of it was painful. He didn't want to think he was going mad despite the signs that were pointing in that direction.

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><p>He was getting coffee then sat at his usual place at the furthest table in the cafeteria, facing the window, detached from the world around him, observing the swaying branches of the trees and several birds that were hopping around. The cafeteria was quite empty. It was mid morning and most of the students there were in lessons or something.<p>

Then he heard the distant noise of chattering, getting louder and louder and then suddenly a group of twenty people come in, all at once and as he turns to survey them, he that mostly are girls, talking with each other animatedly. His eyes suddenly fell on a figure in the middle of the crowd which was standing out by being slightly taller in his black army boots with the same tight leather trousers and a loose shirt with a red and white fan crest on his front. That guy. He was talking with the girls, being just as agitated as them and they were all listening absorbing every word, smiling and adding on to his discourse. It was amazing how that guy could handle such a mob of fangirls. As if Sasuke suddenly heard him, he turned his eyes on Naruto, and they locked in a stare for a moment.

Naruto then turned away, deciding that it was for the best that he ignored the guy. But he couldn't miss the sparkle that suddenly flickered in those black eyes and the slight blush that coloured his pale cheeks. One and one equals two and it wasn't too hard to add the facts. The blond was not stupid in thinking that perhaps the other liked him to a certain extent but he just couldn't figure a reason why the sudden change of heart. They only talked once and other than that they previously had no contact whatsoever.

Could this person be so naive? The world was not that easy. He knew that for he has seen it and experienced it firsthand. There is no love. Everything reduces to sex and the bodily needs. And some people would stop at nothing to get their desires satisfied. He has seen enough atrocities at his life to give up at the thought of love. His pleas haven't stopped them from harming him though he was only a child. Nothing did stop them from using those drugged girls as release bags for any bloke on the street with a few banknotes in their pocket. His eyes closed, hazy memories of pleasure and pain filtering his mind. Most of his experiences were drugged and sometimes he even took the pills willingly, hoping to forget.

He shook his head, wishing these thought would disappear. Well this Sasuke school idol, whatever he was, has been in fact the only person to see through his paintings. Did that make him special or was he so obsessed with the blond that he has learnt psycho analysis through painting. Still there was a lot to analyse in that painting if u were to take into consideration brush stroked and colour use. Well the colours he used were roughly the same in every drawing: red that symbolized the blood of his victims and black and greys for the rest. All the crimes took place at night so he could never really imagine a world other than a black and white one with an excess of black. There were faces of people he was unable to paint but who he knew they were dead because of the sound of the gunshot.

Naruto was startled out of his thoughts by the screech of a chair on the floor and was suddenly on his feet, stance taken to defend, looking around, and ready. He then saw a very shocked Uchiha looking at him, and behind him, turning their heads one by one, all the girls that were seated a table away, all around them. What was that bastard doing sitting at his table? He relaxed, narrowing his eyes angrily at the brunette who still looking at him wondering what the hell he was on about. He then picked his coffee and made his way out of the cafeteria, appearing indifferent but determined to get away from the other guy as fast as possible.

But as he reached the third floor, making his way to the secret door to the attic, he heard rushed footsteps behind him and he stopped to listen, soon seeing Sasuke coming from behind the corner. A smile crept on his lips, watching the other struggling to regain his breath.

What was that feeling, like satisfaction at seeing even the smallest bit of strain that the other was under and a wish to show this person that he should know his place and don't mess in other people's life pretending he knows how they feel, because he might be in for more than he can take. Then there was this thing about how this person was so perfect in everything and had this perfect life and how would it be like to see him broken, his fragile innocence shattered and his white delicate skin covered in the red of blood. Cold realisation suddenly gripped his insides. What has he just been thinking?

"Wait, please. Hi! I wanted to ask you something. Do you have a minute? I was hoping to have coffee with you when you ran off on me" the brunette said, a hint of accusation in his tone.

Naruto just watched him silently not answering, still trapped in a deep conflict with his inner self. Then Sasuke straightened looking at him with a look of determination on his face, clearly not taking no for an answer.

The blond just nodded and pointed to the door to the attic, then continued his way up the stairs, the brunette following after him. Once inside, Sasuke took one of the chairs next to the window while Naruto leaned on a wall, watching the other carefully.

"Sorry for this," he apologised.

Definitely too late for that now, Naruto thought. But instead he remained quiet, waiting for the other to continue.

"I was interested in your art," Sasuke stated "I saw all your paintings since the beginning of the year and I was always curious of who made them. At the beginning they were simple murders, but as time moved on, your paintings got more and more violent. The other thing was how nobody saw it. Your way of painting is amazing, like each is a puzzle to a greater secret. "

Naruto froze, turning to stare intensely at the other, his breath caught in his lungs. Who was this guy? Just how much did he know? Could he be a spy from the other groups? According to Keeper, all the students in this school were clean to a certain extent. Could it be that he missed something? It couldn't be, Keeper was top notch in information gathering and besides, he was also in the police force, giving him access to some otherwise forbidden files anyway. It was also him that recommended to Naruto to go to this college and got his papers ready.

"How... where do u get your inspiration from? How can you make them so real? I always wanted to see you paint to see how you are doing it. Is this the place you normally hide?"

Too many questions and he thought a bit before answering. He couldn't kill the guy without making a fuss. Part of him was somehow happy that someone else could understand his art and not call it useless, but the other was angry because those paintings were something personal, not meant for anyone to decipher. It was like reading his journal. But then again he put his journal up there since the beginning, convinced the puzzle was unbreakable. Until now.

Seeing that the other is still waiting for an answer he sighted and fixed his gaze on the window gazing the distant city and the millions of rooftops.

"None of your business," he finally mutters.

He sees the other frown with the corner of his eye. The brunette is visibly irritated. There is no way he could tell the other about the truth behind his so called imagination. Best change the subject.

"What about your paintings?" he asks, changing tactics determined to find more about his opponent and how dangerous he truly was.

The reaction he gets makes him smile once more, mockingly. The brunette blushes slightly and looks away. His emotions are so easy to read making the possibility of him being part of any group out of the question. He was just too innocent. He could feel the warmth of this person just by being close to him, his naive way of being; walking here alone in an empty room with a person he only spoke several times. So many things could happen and nobody would know.

"How come you're so popular" Naruto asked, part of him still trying to distract him from his thoughts which were exploring several options now of how he could deal with this person if he had his way, several of them which could end up a horror show.

"The paintings. I've won several competitions internationally. Also my parents who own the microchip factory" the brunette answered automatically, staring into space as if he has just told him that his pet died. "But everyone wants me for money..." he then adds, in a more hushed tone, which Naruto would have missed if he were not really trained in listening. Part of him felt sorry for the guy whose face was a mask of sadness staring absently at the floor. But the other part of him still went on about how he could manipulate this person and play with him. His sadness was nothing compared with Naruto's. He had no reason to complain.

This guy was the typical happy rich family brat with no real worries except of how to impress his parents and with a bright future ahead of him. He was popular with girls and could get whatever he wanted in life. The demon in his head urged the blond to take action.

"I liked your yellow painting" he remarked. "Who is the person?"

Sasuke snaped out of his trance and looked at the blond, indecision in his eyes. He then carefully observes the boy leaning on the wall in front of him. He is smiling. And his smile would even be beautiful if it wasn't for the fact that he couldn't see his eyes, which were covered by his hair from that angle. A shiver ran down the back of his neck and for some reason he suddenly felt afraid. He stood up hesitantly, wanting to get closer to see the blond more carefully, but stopped dead when the other ran a hand up his hair, pulling it backwards to see better and Sasuke finally saw the expression on the other's face.

His blue eyes sparkled and he swore he could see a bit of red in them. His grin, something he has never seen in his life, is pure evil almost like seeing a madman. Sasuke instantly backed up as the other approached him slowly, his movements fluid like a predator approaching his prey. He couldn't move, the intensity of those eyes blocking him from making a logical decision. He could only stare at this new version of Naruto which was so beautiful and deadly. He was truly a fallen angel.

The blond reached out and gently touched his face. Warm fingers traced a line of soft skin and the touch was almost like burning. His senses kicked in finally and the brunette moved back against the window, while the other still moved closer, amusement in his expression. There was no escape.

As if in response to his feelings the outside sky suddenly became darker, shadowing the face of his captor so that only his eyes shined with killing intent and desire.

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><p>His mind was blank as if his body was being controlled by another. He placed one hand on the window, cornering the other against the thin glass, restricting his moves, while the other hand touched his face, feeling the softness of that skin underneath his fingers. Sasuke shied away from his touch, his face red with embarrassment but strangely making no move to escape.<p>

And that devil inside was happy and his heart was bleeding and he knew that what he's doing is wrong. The brunette fixed him with his dark eyes, and all those emotions conveyed in that one look maked him pause, a memory taking over his mind.

_"Don't look at us with those eyes, Brat! You asked for it when you came here"_

The warmth of those deep black eyes shakes him, for he knew what happened to himself. Those eyes didn't stop those people from abusing him. He even got more, those torturing him wanting to dull that sparkle and the warmth.

"_We'll break you in two, kid."_

He tried to chase away the memories. This was nothing for him. He has done it so many times before. Once more would make no difference. Whether it was this guy or any. He leaned closer, feeling the other getting still in his hands. He could smell his soft scent of flowers and almost taste the sweet taste of those lips.

Then the sun hit him in his eyes and from this angle it shined right above the other's head. The world around him lit up and he pulled back suddenly, confused, bewildered, memories of the brightness of flames suddenly flaring up in his mind and he blinks, once more in full control of himself. He then looks down at the brunette who is still standing there petrified with his eyes closed, expecting the worst. He smiles, a true smile, and pats the other on the head slightly. This guy was just too innocent. He didn't deserve to be dragged in this world of darkness. And it seemed that whoever out there was watching over him, just saved him from a cruel fate.

The other opened his eyes and stared at him, shocked. His soul was truly beautiful and full of warmth and love because those eyes were beautiful. He stepped back in the shadow and watched the other guy as he stood there, bewildered, in the sunlight. He could never belong to his world. His soul was too tainted. His place was on the other side of the line that separated good and evil, dark and light.

Naruto picked his bag off the floor, turned around and left, without warning and without turning back. There were still some demons he needed to control before he could come out again in the light again.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: I do not own Naruto. This is a work of fiction.

I thank you for your support from the bottom of my heart. I really couldn't stop thinking about all the emails I got. I was in uni on my phone reading all the comments grinning like an idiot, unable to stop as I read throughout all the comments: once, twice, three times, ten times XD

There were some Asian people across me and when I looked up they were watching me curiously then they started chatting with each other in their language, looking at me periodically then away. Just been branded as crazy :P Oh well. It was bound to happen XD

Enjoy and please let me know what u think ( ps: Kit, thanks, I've reviewed the chapter and tried to improve in this one)

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><p><strong>4. News<strong>

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><p>The wind blew softly to him, ruffling his hair and billowing his curtains, bringing in a cold breath of the night. It was quiet here, yet the distant buzz of activity could be heard from far away. People would wake soon for it was almost dawn. The noise of a stray dog digging in some heap of trash for some food sounded like a boom on the empty streets. The dark lifeless buildings seemed oppressive with their moulded concrete walls and falling plaster, their balconies full of monsters and mysterious black windows.<p>

Naruto exhaled watching the smoke swirl and dissipate quickly, killing his finished cigarette in the already full ash tray. He's been sitting in the same spot for the past three hours and his feet were already numb, starting to hurt. But he didn't mind it for it kept him awake, waiting. It's been two weeks now and there were no news. Keeper said he'd be updating him tonight but there was no sign of him.

Well, he couldn't sleep anyway, working on staying awake for as long as possible in order to sleep peacefully later on. It's been 5 hours now and he was wondering if his friend would show up at all.

The nightmares got worse since that incident at the college some two weeks ago and now it was now the third night since he last closed his eyes. He would wake horrified pulling his gun from under his pillow and alert looking for anything out of place in his room or any person that might be there. Those dreams seemed so vivid, and he was scared he would accidently shoot his neighbours through the thin plaster walls of his house in a fit of panic. So he chose to stay awake. Soon he would fall dead from exhaustion and then it would be blissful peace, his mind too tired to remember.

In the corner of his room some five or six paintings were waiting to be finished. He's been working on the simultaneously, after each one tortured him with their vision, one more horrible than the other. It was a fight with the Stone group, who wriggled their way in this town and took over some of the brothels. At the beginning there was a peaceful cooperation, but then they broke some of the other places, stole some 200 kg of cocaine from Mr Blaze. The group was butchered and some money had to be paid in order to maintain the peace between the two major groups. Despite the fact that they were scum just like him, they were still human, and that mass of blood, flesh and broken bones was something he never wanted to remember. Yet that guy in his college brought it all up to the surface again.

He hasn't been so distressed since those days when he first witnessed the killings and then was forced to pick up the knife and dig in people's chest. Those were the times he overdosed taking everything he had, but even so it wasn't enough to kill him. His keepers made sure to never give him more stuff than he could handle. Later on they would then beat him awake, leaving him to crawl in pain, as the effects wore off. He would then beg for another fix for he was barely able to move, while they would laugh at him mockingly. He would get no more than the daily amount. And if couldn't wake up to get it personally, he wouldn't have even that little bit.

He sometimes wondered how he survived those times, mostly not sleeping, always being alert and paranoid, doing anything or a fix. The pain that followed after he escaped was unbearable for he couldn't go to the hospital without being tracked and he had nobody to turn to for help. He prepared his house beforehand, blocked his windows and had a clean bed and water and food to survive for 2 months without going out and be tempted, then had Keeper send someone to lock him in. The disaster that came during those times was incredible. He broke all the china he had in the house, desk, furniture, bed, he ripped the mattress, scattered the food and water, and broke the sink and toilet and so on. At the end of the first month he finally started to gain control over his senses and he wasn't trembling as badly anymore. Luckily Keeper sent someone to repair and clean the place when the time was up and he stayed in a hotel. What he did was almost suicide since he didn't take painkillers and he didn't eat with days, only drinking water. But he had survived on pure will, always telling himself that it was nothing compared with the other people that died and he will make it through. Even today he strictly refused any sort medicine like sleeping pills or relief. Let them dreams torture him; it was a small price to pay for his sins.

He couldn't stop wondering what made that guy in his class so special. He could still remember those eyes that spoke of so much loneliness and fear that the bolder in his chest that was called heart, stirred. Those eyes tortured him, reminding him so much of himself as a child. Still, he had nothing in common with Sasuke. He was even a bit intrigued, for the other was always surrounded by people and love, that the thought of loneliness almost seemed impossible. He even felt the urge to hurt the other because of this reason. But this person looked like it had experienced enough pain already. What was his problem? Was this the reason why Sasuke was interested in him, could he have noticed Naruto's darker nature and been drawn to it?

Naruto hadn't felt like this in a very, very long time.

Guilt. That would be a good way to describe this aching in his heart for every time he thought back about the incident, he couldn't help but feel self conscious. How could he have had such messed up thoughts? How had he dared hurt someone so innocent? He was filthy, tainted and being around other people who were nice and innocent only helped him see the dark soul he possessed, making him feel miserable and useless. Still those eyes looked so forgiving, so hopeful and yet scared. What was the brunette hoping to get from him? Was he really in love with him, despite the fact that they were both guys? Of course, for Naruto, it never made a difference, because of the world he lived in. But it seemed like Sasuke really liked him, regardless of his gender or his nasty personality. That person's heart was pure gold and something that he had no right to claim. He had no right to be loved by the brunette.

Still, when they were so close, in that moment, he couldn't help but hope that he could find forgiveness, despite the fact that there was no place for people like him in this world of light. Deep inside him something stirred and perhaps that was another reason why he was so shaken and all those memories that he tried so hard to burry, came back to him. Perhaps he could turn back and perhaps there was a normal life waiting for him if he gave it a chance. How could that guy have gotten between his barriers and cracked his impenetrable facade? That hope needed to be crushed before it flourished and broke the stone wall around his heart. There was no true love. Yet Sasuke believed in him blindly, despite the fact that they only talked once. He wanted to break that trust but just couldn't and he didn't know why.

In the same time he was afraid of what might happen if he gave in and just accepted the love, for all his life he has been beaten, feared, abused, until he earned some respect. But even then he had to always bare his fangs at anyone to keep those after his neck away from getting to him.

This guy has gotten to him so easily, using the most basic of weapons and one he never learnt to defend against. He could never fight against love. Maybe he has gotten soft in the past year, living in a world without danger. But even if he wanted, there wasn't an underworld to return to, at least not for now. He cleaned it and for a short while, this town has been more peaceful. He did occasionally beat one or two bullies whenever he went out for a walk in the more derelict zones of this town, one of which was where he lived. But nothing really serious. Still, Keeper assured him that they will come back. It was a big town.

The soft beep of a message disturbed the silence of the room and startled the blond out of his dark thoughts. The computer screen on his desk came alive slowly, displaying a small window where a message flashed, asking for attention. Naruto was on his feet in one fluid move, walking with grace between the various things in his room, finally reaching the desk and checking if what he hoped for was real. The message was short, noticing him that Mr K has entered the chat room, followed by another short sentence.

"Hey F. U there kid?"

A smile spread over his lips and whatever frustration he felt over waiting for such a long time melted. Keeper still thought of him as a kid after all these years. His messages always started with the same line.

He quickly type in an answer.

"Hey Keep. Sup?"

"Nothing much. Just finished a report. How come u're not sleeping, kid?"

" U know I was never ur average kid anyway. Also, please don't "kid" me.

"U been training? Eating enough? Putting some weight?"

Keeper has arranged that he go to a local gym to keep fit and that once a week someone came with a bag of groceries at his door, most them being fruits and vegetables. He was never a vegetable addict, but he likes the fruits so he ate as much of those as he could, giving the rest away to neighbours in exchange for a bowl of noodle soup.

"I'm still alive hence, hence I'm eating. No, i haven;t put any weight. How do u want that to happen when I'm training?"

"U're gonna get anorexia, kid"

"It's fine, don't worry. Any news?"

"Depends what u wanna hear" came the swift answer.

"Everything u got, please."

A short break before the other launched typing giving the details while trying to not giving away anything important in case he was bugged.

Keeper was a spy. He was a good friend with Naruto's father but unfortunately, gone on a dangerous undercover mission when he learnt of his friend's death. As much as he wished he could come back, he risked his own life if he left at the time. So he came into contact with Naruto two years later, after the boy had come into the service of the Red Fires, one of the major mafia organisations in the country. After bringing in the files on Mr Blaze that his father discovered before his death, he lied that he found them, and thought of them as the best way for him to join. The files for accepting him in the gang. The info was dangerous at the time and despite the Boss' guys trying to find anything on him or about the info, nothing was there. In the end, they just accepted the files and took Naruto under their "protection", the Boss being impressed by the kid's determination to join. What followed was hell. Despite Keeper's wish to help, Naruto kept away from him and refused any help. They fought at the beginning, Keeper determined to get the boy out of there. However Naruto threatened to take his life if any action was taken. Keeper was on the other side, trying to do the same thing as the kid and bring the killers of his best friend down. So in the end, they came to an understanding, Keeper accepting to lend his help despite the fact that he was totally against leaving Naruto on his own in that world given his young age.

Naruto quickly became known as one of the cruellest and the sliest people in the organisation. He would do anything to stay alive while also completing his missions. After killing Slash, he came into the attention of many other underdogs throughout the organisation for despite the fact that the madman was a weak insect; he still worked directly under the boss. Many wished to claim his position but were to chicken to do so. Now that he did it, many thought they could win for he was just a kid. But he survived and was named Fox by Mr Blaze himself, the official honour of becoming a fully fledged member at the age of 14. A year later he worked under the boss himself, managing the brothels and the selling of drugs on the streets.

"There's some people being put together to check the situation and one of them is a really good one, B's personal advisor, second in command. The big man himself was seen a few weeks back in a town close to you. I have reasons to believe that they'll soon be sniffling in the area. "

"I still can't believe he's alive."

"He's still under heavy medication. "

"How much time till they start?"

"Maybe another month."

" I should prepare myself properly."

"Well first of all they might not be searching for you. My sources say that the old man thinks nobody survived for he personally checked all remains. But if they recognise you and research properly, it will still take time to have solid proof."

"As if they'd wait for that. They would kill me without a second thought if they thought I was the rat."

"That too. But if they investigate, u still have a solid cover that might not break. And if they do, u'll still have 6 months until they piece the info."

"6 months and u say it's solid. If they connect the dots, I might not be safe anywhere in this world. If the old man would have gone, I would have broken them down for good. "

"U did a good number on them, F. But I've been doing this for the past 20 years and no such luck. Indeed you would have had an organisation less, but there will always be someone to start it again."

"It would still give u a chance to stop it in time.

"True enough. But even the police have worms. But it's good to hope."

"Well at least u have a partner now."

"You have a partner, F! And the moment u let that childish stubbornness go, u might get another chance to live tomorrow."

Naruto smiled at that. The old man was still frustrated to be left out of the whole operation and the fact that the blond has put his life in so much danger.

"You are so lucky to have escaped that number alive, F and u don't even know that.

"If I go fighting, K, it would be a good way to go. I won't be missed by many people"

"That's not the answer kid. Besides, eliminating them doesn't always solve the problem. You have to cut at the root of the problem: money, drugs, women, guns. But u've done enough kid. Take a break for a while and try to live"

Naruto smiled proudly at his praise.

"U've done more than me K, so quit the flattering. If I survive the next round, it will be something to brag about. "

"Pray the next round never comes"

Naruto bit his lip, thinking about his most pressing matter at the moment. He could ask his friend what he thought, for he would know the best thing considering all the goods and bads he did. But on the other hand the answer will be biased for Keeper has always been protective towards him and would say anything to get him to go back to being normal.

"Hope they never find you F. Time's up kid. Get some sleep and I'll be in the mail with more info and some names.

"Keep..."

Pause.

"What is it kid, spill it out, I'm overtime."

"Do u think I have a chance to come back? Do you think I'll be accepted given what I was? Will I be able to escape the past and forget?"

There was a long pause, Keeper probably blinking several times thinking that what he just read was in his imagination. Just as Naruto thought that they lost the connection, a new message flashed up.

"Yes yes and yes. Kid, I'm happy u're thinking about this, it's about time. It's gonna be hard, F, but not impossible. Somewhere out there, there's a person who's just for you, who'll accept you for who you are and will forgive you and love both your good and bad parts. But for that you need to come back to being normal and stay alive."

Naruto smiled sadly, typing his answer.

"Thanks, K. I'll try my best. Take care."

The screen went blue again and his computer restarted and rebooted. Naruto just stood there, absent minded, thinking.

"Perhaps that person found me first" he murmured.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: I do not own Naruto. This is a work of fiction

Lucky for you I'm in my holiday and I have some time until my internet gets fixed. Therefore in the meanwhile, having nothing to do, and strictly refusing any uni work or watching TV, I settled on drafting some chapters, finishing some and reviewing the plot. So here I am at 2 am writing for maybe 5 hours now. I don't know why every time I read the damn story; it feels as if it wasn't written by me. Therefore I get excited by the plot and want to write more plotting new scenarios and stuff. This will be the death of me.

Many thanks for the reviews and for those anonymous readers out there. Your comments really keep me going. Without further delay, the new chapter. Enjoy! :D

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><p><strong> 5. Missing you<strong>

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><p>It's certainly been boring the past few weeks. Once Naruto stopped coming to college, the days turned gray and dull. Each morning, he was waking with the hope that the blond would be in that day and later on with the disappointment of not seeing him. There wasn't anything good to do. Each day he was assaulted by his group of friends and another one of these unknown girls would get past his bodyguards, slipping a letter where she confessed her unrequited love. Then his bodyguard girlfriends would find out about the letter and track down whoever sent it and "have a friendly chat" with that person, as they liked to call it. He long ago gave up his locker to them for they were always caring that he had a clean shirt inside, money for lunch and whatever he needed all neatly organised for him to just waltz in and take it. Life sure was boring. After a while, he stopped insisting that they shouldn't do it as those girls stubbornly refused to listen. He had no privacy due to the fact that he was too soft hearted so he settled to agreeing their terms, therefore, at least he was shielded from love letters. He sighted for the twentieth time that day and continued sketching on the canvas, a new picture of the one he loved, the image from a few weeks ago coming back to mind as he replayed that moment in the sun and tried to capture it.<p>

He traced the line of the face and proceeded contouring the large eyes and trying to show the array of emotions that they reflected in that moment when he opened his eyes and saw the blond standing there like in a trance, patting him absently on the head wih those soothing movements and that calm expression: surprise, relief, sadness, pain the madness that caused that moment to happen and then sudden realisation. All those emotions passed in those eyes as he smiled that day. So beautiful. The image of him, bathed in sunlight transformed him into a being of another world, a shinning angel, fallen from world of the sun.

Sasuke couldn't even remember when he fell in love with the blond. He blames it on that day when he came late to college and found Naruto leaning on the balustrade above him over the staircase, smoking and his gaze lost far away. It was midday and it so happened that in that moment the sun was shining right above his head, like a halo. In a mirage, he swears he even saw wings, or maybe it was the effect of the sun in his eyes. He has always imagined, wished that the person he would love would be like an angel when he was a child. He once went to an opera play and saw a beautiful blond girl sing on the stage, her voice sending chills on his back and the light bathing her white dress and her bright yellow hair, making her almost glow. The effects of the stage also made her wear wings in the time of her performance which further enhance her divine appearance. It was a stupid thing but he assumed at the time that she was an angel and concluded in his head that anyone like her was an angel. Then his mother kindly told him that he can't call any blond haired person on the street angels and so he gave up, but in his heart, he secretly wished that the person he would fall in love with would be like that: beautiful, angelic with a sincere heart and a swarm soul. However, none of the people he met proved to be like that. And soon he was betrayed even by the ones he loved, being forced to be alone in this world.

Of course, he was perplexed when he first saw the blond. Sasuke didn't expect that of all the people he met, the person to fit the guidelines of his ideal lover would be a guy, and not to mention, Naruto, who had such a dark heart. He reasoned with himself a millions of times, Naruto is a guy and on top of all, an extremely quiet person, arrogant, indifferent, who scares anyone who tries to get close to him, who ignores people and he had nothing in common with the guy. Still he heard girls talking about the blond, for he was truly handsome. If only he wasn't that cold.

_So well done, Sasuke you fell in love with the guy based solely on his appearance, saying that you are ready to accept any shit coming from him as long as he keeps looking your way with that pretty face of his_... he thought. That sounds really wrong. But the more he tried to forget Naruto and to think about something else, the more he caught himself observing his shiny blond hair, his vacant blue eyes that sometimes would come focused and an emotion would escape creasing that stone mask before he would return to normal, the way his skin was slightly tanned in a warm hue reminding him of summer despite the fact that the blond clearly didn't go to a beauty shop, the way his shirt always hanged loose on his thin frame, making him even thinner, how he would wear an oversized hoodie and place the hood on his head and fall asleep with his head on a table in history of arts, how his favourite colours were orange, black and blue and he would always wear a the same pair of orange converse, how his tight jeans would show the shape of his body and muscles, as Sasuke would sketch him quickly before transforming the sketches in paintings, how despite the fact that his clothes were old and washed out, and his shoes were torn, the blond was very clean, always smelling of soap and detergent. Those little things stuck to his mind and didn't let him sleep at night, wondering, why was the blond so cold, what troubled him and how could he make him talk to him.

Naruto always drank his coffee in the same place, at the same table and always a double espresso with three spoons of sugar, always smoked in the same place over the balustrade, with a vacant look on his eyes, even if it was once in a while, always disappeared during the day, probably sleeping or painting in the attic. He was typical therefore easy to predict. But even so, Sasuke never found anything left behind, that would suggest that the blond was getting his inspiration from any source other than his mind.

And there were the paintings. Sasuke had to admit, he has been studying them for a long time before he has been able to piece them together. And when he did, he found a pattern that all his paintings were following. When put together it was like a puzzle, a collection of the most horrific methods to kill that anyone could come up with. Besides that, they were so incredibly detailed that it was as if the blond has been there and seen them all. Then one night, on a whim, he started researching some random words, like "murder: mam with his heart in his hands" and what he found out was shocking. The research has given him a list of news articles with a crime that happened not so long ago in a town about 100 km south from there. The criminal was someone named Andrew Coolingham, a member of a mafia organisation that was found dead a few years ago. he was nicknamed The Slash because all his victims were always cut and even aranged, like in a work od art. He was part of a mafia organisation caleld Red Fire involved in drugs, prostitution and gun handling. Red Fire used to be a famous organisation and it has gotten quite powerful in these parts. Fortunately, most of the members including the headquarters have gone up in flames during a massive party causing most of the members to lose their life, following a massive leak of info to the police that led the remaining members to be arrested. The articles kept going with maybe and maybe and perhaps but apparently nobody knew how this happened or who betrayed the organisation. And even if they did, who would tell? That person's life was in danger. Later on, he found another list of crimes and protected pictures associsated with the articles, a lot of them being totally grotesque, but with themes he recognised in the paintings the blond did. Was this the source of Naruto's inspiration. Maybe the other knew someone who worked in the police, a detective or something and had access to photos that enhanced his imagination. Since the events took place some time ago and the criminal was long dead, the photos were no longer necessary so Naruto used them for artistic purposes.

He hoped that perhaps a moment will come when he would be able to ask. Thinking back about how close they have been on their previous encounter, sent chills running on his spine. There has been something off about the other in the beginning... the moment he approached him, he has seen the desperation and the madness, that cruel grin that fit his face so easily, the slow movements that wanted to scare, to catch and restrict him. He was scared, and his body couldn't move, the blue eyes holding him like hypnotized. That moment he felt like a deer being caught by a wolf, unable to move. That person could kill; he was unafraid, untamed, and mad. The feeling sent goose bumps over his skin every time the thought about it. Then as if by a miracle, the sun hit and whatever darkness crept over that beautiful soul dissolved, into a confused look and a dazzling smile. He kept wondering whether the blond had a split personality or something because the difference in behaviour could not be ignored. But then the blond regained control, and when Sasuke opened his eyes and saw him, patting his head slightly, his skin and his hair glowing in the sunlight, with the smile on his face and his eyes sparkling azure clear, like the brunette could see all the way down into Naruto's soul, he knew for sure that the choice he made was the right one. His chest tightened and his heart skipped a few beats, staring wide mouthed at the person in front of him. Naruto had a heart, one buried deep under layers of stone and concrete, but a pure and honest soul, like he imagined, like he wished, for the blond was truly an angel.

He felt honoured, as even if it was just a bit, he was the first person that Naruto opened up to. Then they were so close and it all happened so quickly. A pang of regret stung his stomach as he thought about how close he's been to kiss the blond. This chance might never come again. Naruto was the person he loved the most but he was afraid of him. Thinking about it from that point of view, Sasuke barely knew anything about the blond. It was normal to be afraid when the other had a fit of insanity, right?

He finished sketching the eyes, watching them closely and arranging the hair that would fall over the left one that would complete the emotion he was trying to show. Satisfied with the sketch, he proceeded to the perfecting the smile. In a way he was jealous for he was sharing a precious moment with the world when he exhibited that picture. But on the other hand, having that portrait looking at him smiling every day gave him such a boost every morning that he came to pour all his feeling of love into the canvas, since it seemed to be more appreciative than the real person. The sketch was far from what the reality looked like but Sasuke was hoping to perfect it with colour.

"I could see your fading halo,

And I could make it burn again

Like the sun..."

He caught whiff of someone's music in the iPod and turned. One of the girls was listening to that music which could be heard through her headphones. He hesitated then stood and approached the girl asking if he could borrow the headphones and iPod for a second to listen to that song. The brown haired stared at him, lost in a trance, before finally registering his words, being more than happy to lend him her things. This will be a big episode later on, Sasuke thought, as he put the headphones on and scrolled back to the lyrics he was trying to hear.

_You see the world through your window  
>You don't even go outside anymore<br>Only feel safe feeling hollow  
>You think your scars are way too deep to be cured<em>

_You hide your heart in the shadows_  
><em>So afraid to ...open up to anyone<em>  
><em>But I can see your faded halo<em>  
><em>And I can make it burn again, like the sun...<em>

He smiles at the idea. A halo. That would complete him.

He sighted, once again immersing himself in the moment and trying to remember.

Naroto seemed so hurt when he retreated in the shadows. Sasuke wanted to run after him, but that last glance made him stop, all that sadness and loneliness threatening to tear him apart. He wanted to hug Naruto, to comfort him and take away all his pain. Knowing him, he would probably not accept it. But at least he would know that Sasuke's love is genuine. However he hesitated and let the blond go, watching him as he stepped back in the shadows, as if afraid of the light, a mask of indifference back on his features.

But by letting him go, he proved that his love was not strong enough. He clenched the paintbrush and accidentally snapped it in two, then watched it with amazement and annoyance, as this was one of his favourite brushes. He then proceeded looking for some tape; in his absence, people seeing the portrait and connecting the dots. So this was the mysterious blond in their idol's paintings: Naruto Uzumaki.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: I do not own Naruto. This is a work of fiction.

Thank you very much for your reviews so far! I give you: MY LONGEST CHAPTER ! (so far) :D I wrote everything in one go, taking several days to correct mistakes and improve paragraphs. Lots of work. I've done loads of psycho analysis in this chapter and was kinda scared it might get a bit boring. I hope I managed to keep it interesting. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

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><p><strong>6. A Portrait of Memories<strong>

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><p>There's a limit to how much you can avoid someone. Naruto's had one hell of a month, taking up time to train at a small gym that Keeper had paid for him, finishing five paintings and exhausting himself for the sake of a few peaceful hours of sleep every three nights. His absences were gathering to nearly 300 and pointing towards expulsion if he didn't do something about it. Keeper would also be able to take care of that with a medical excuse of him having flu or something. He was sure the school will probably not let him go easily given that one of his paintings was exhibited at the National Art Gallery in the capital; the letters he got served more as a warning and reminder that they do not want to lose a good student but rules are rules. Leaving that aside, he's been mentally preparing himself to face Sasuke, opting for ignorance and cruel mockery if the event from a month ago was even mentioned in his presence.<p>

In fact, he was hoping to maybe not see the brunette at all.

Once again he left early, walking down the empty streets with people only then lazily starting to open their shops and take their temporary stand for more advertisement. He wished that maybe this time he would be able to get to college unseen and then leave before he had the chance to talk to anyone. Training has helped calm down his mind a little, but another face appeared in his dreams and he had to start a new painting soon.

This canvas was about an incident that happened when he was about 12. He tried to shoo away the memories from his head, breathing deeply, when he heard footsteps behind him and once again saw Sasuke entering the room with a painting, a sleepy look on his face. The other stopped in his tracks for a moment before he continued; passing by to the usual place he would hang his painting. Naruto narrowed his eyes, refusing to acknowledge the brunette but he could feel his blood boiling, as a sense of déjà-vu was playing around in his mind. Sasuke would start talking to him, questioning him again. Just the person he didn't want to meet so early on a Monday morning.

He sighted, his hands moving faster with the wire to get away as soon as possible. When he stepped away from the drawing, he noticed Sasuke standing by him, looking at his work. The bastard hasn't even put his own canvas up, but left it on the floor, coming instead to talk to him.

"Hi", he said, anxiously.

Naruto shut his eyes tight, wishing that maybe he was imagining it and hoping that maybe when he would open them, he will find the room empty. No such luck. Sasuke was watching him, a hint of confusion on his face. _Doesn't this guy get the message that maybe I don't want to talk to him?_ Naruto thought angrily. Or he was just too desperate. He once again sighted, feeling so ancient and nodded at the other and then turning to check if there was anything else he needed to do to his canvas, in order to leave. He didn't want to be near this guy. Despite the previous events, he still judged it was best to keep away from people.

The same grey and red and black coloured the canvas, blotches of thick red blood, a battered bloody corpse and the rib opened showing the heart that was savagely attacked by a white bone from the rib cage, while next to it, another person leaned with the neck slashed and a pool of blood colouring the clothes and the floor. The picture of the heart and the bone was the only thing clear this time. That had been Slash's masterpiece, while Naruto, when given the task to finish the other person, he simply cut the artery of the neck, judging it a quicker death than the other victim's companion.

He noticed Sasuke placing a hand over his mouth and staring wide eyes at the painting, a look of terror in his eyes. Right, the bastard could read the pictures. He kind of forgot that rolling his eyes at the other's reaction.

"Who would kill those men so brutally?" he then said and Naruto smirked, thinking about Sasuke's reaction if he were to face Slash. "I can't believe the detail", the other added after a bit oblivious of what Naruto was thinking, "Do u like sadist movies or something?"

Naruto smiled thinking of the irony of the other was saying.

He raised his eyes to see that Sasuke frozen in place his mouth slightly open.

"What? he spat, annoyed by the other's startled expression.

"You smiled," he said blushing and fixing his gaze on the floor.

Naruto watched him, a dumb folded expression on his face. He then starts laughing, a cruel mocking laugh.

"You sure you're not a woman?"

"Asshole" came the cold answer.

Just how much did this guy like him? He had a total crush here, total. Sasuke's ears turned red as Naruto turned and walked to see the other's painting out of curiosity. He saw a tint of yellow and blue on the canvas and as he came closer, his eyes widened, taking in what he saw stopping dead in front of the canvas. Blue eyes were looking at him, beautiful, warm, a carefree expression with a few locks of blond hair falling on the side and the smile that would melt away any heart. That was him, smiling like in that photography when he was a kid. Only that this was an older version of him, the Naruto he would have been if none of the hell happened, if his parents were still alive and he lived a normal life.

It also reflected what he could never be, what he could never achieve. The warmth of that face was alien to him. He clenched his hands into a fist, so tight that his fingernails were digging into the skin in his palm and tried to keep him from trembling, his blood was boiling and the anger he felt was overwhelming. He knew the truth, but never before had it been "spoken" or more like presented to him so bluntly, and by a stranger who had nothing to do with him.

He wanted to tear it apart, to kill the bastard for what he did. Instead he hit the wall next to him with such a furry that the plasterboard broke and his hand went all the way through, outside, cracking the brick and cement into a mess or blood and debris. The pain kept him from launching for the guy and breaking his neck.

Sasuke turned, if possible, whiter than he already was and took a few steps back, seeing Naruto's reaction as he slowly took his hand out, blood dripping from it several bones broken and veins cracked. He never expected such force from such a thin person. But more importantly, he never expected it would turn out like this. Naruto faced him, his face red with anger and his eyes hard as steel, clearly fighting to keep himself under control. Sasuke swallowed hard but stood his ground.

"You bastard, what's the big idea?" he growled.

Sasuke didn't answer still in a trance by what was happening in front of him, his eyes watching the hole in the wall and the blood dripping on the floor, as a very angry Naruto stepped in front of him and grabbed him by his shirt with his injured hand, and hitting him on the wall, with an incredible force, making use of his height to lean over the brunette. Sasuke saw the skin falling from the flesh and the dust coating the blood that kept pouring from the wounds, the smell of iron making him gag as he felt his shirt getting more and more soaked in blood.

"Why am I in that picture?" he demanded, oblivious of the state of his hand, or anything around him.

"You were good inspiration", he answered simply, feeling satisfied at seeing the blond angry as payback for the earlier confrontation, despite the situation he was in.

"Do u have any idea what u have done?" Naruto spat in his face.

Sasuke pushed him away, feeling the blood pouring down his chest in the interior of his shirt and he started to wipe it, absentminded, while Naruto was fuming in front of him, still trying to regain control over his emotions.

"Nothing wrong from my point of view", came the simple reply, "I can paint whoever I want as far as I know"

He could clearly see a vein throbbing on the blond's forehead, his eyes burning fire and his hands still trembling. This was not good. The blond looked ready to rip him to pieces.

Just then he heard a gasp and saw two of those annoying girls that always hanged around Sasuke, stopping at the entrance of the gallery, staring at the two, alarmed. They saw Naruto's injured fist which was still dropping blood on the floor along with the hole in the wall and Sasuke's blood soaked shirt and shrieked away turning around and running in the opposite direction, very likely to call someone.

"Che" was all Naruto said, picking his bag and walking out.

Why did he bother to come to school at all?

* * *

><p><em>Calm, breathe, calm<em> was all he could repeat in his head, an angry look on his face and people giving him worried looks as his hand would leave another little droplet on the ground as he walked home hurriedly. In a normal day, the bastard would have been lying on the floor, beaten to a pulp. How did that bastard dare paint him without permission and in a way that would hint to his family and his past? A voice in his mind argued that Sasuke didn't know anything about him, and he did it because apparently he really, really liked him, but he still couldn't forgive anyone who would remind him of himself when he was a child. For him, that was the most precious memory and something that he wanted to think that nobody could take away from him.

Maybe it was time to end Sasuke's fantasy, once and for all. He has become way too annoying and Naruto had enough on his mind as it was. By being on his own he reached an agreement with himself that there was nothing out there for him, no hope, that he was alone in his pain and therefore been able to control his emotions and actions by removing anything that might hint to what he didn't want to remember. Yet ever since he talked to that guy, everything he has built his world on so far was turned upside down. He was even thinking about the possibility of being forgiven. Seriously, who would forgive a criminal like him? In order to get his revenge, he has become what he hated the most and now he found out that it wasn't even over for Blaze was still alive. All the pain and sufferance for nothing.

He reached his apartment and used his left hand to fish for the keys in his backpack, trying to not touch anything with his injured arm and smear the whole place with blood. It was amazing for how long those drugs worked. Almost a year and he still couldn't feel the full pain of his injuries. Well that's what you got after being drugged since you were a kid and that's what made him fearsome when he was still part of the group. He turned on the cold water and run his hand under the jet hoping that the pressure will remove most of the debris stuck in the now dried blood, without him having to rub down on the wounds. That would be painful even with all his resistance. He then doused his hand with alcohol, wincing at the cruel sting and Betadine and then wrapped it tightly in bandages, then made a coffee. He'd have to report back to the head of the department later with his excuse for being absent.

He sat at his computer checking for any messages from Keeper and his eyes darted to the drawer where his two most precious possessions were locked safely, the only remainders of his old home and his family. One of them was an aluminium frame which opened like a book, containing a photo of him and his parents when he was six and he was smiling like in the painting Sasuke has drawn. The other photo was of him as a baby. The frame was blackened but somehow survived. The other thing was a small fluffy bear that he has won in a fair he visited with his parents. The plush toy was blackened and still smelt for smoke even now, but Naruto left it like that, wanting it to remain unchanged. They were like relics from a past life, which sometimes he wondered even if it was his own or just dreams.

The painting that Sasuke has made was still on his mind. It was truly beautiful. And he hated himself even more for thinking that, because looking at it made him jealous and angry for what he lost and could never regain.

He suddenly stood and took thick piece of white card and after fixing it on the shevalet, he started painting the image that was burning in his mind. Vivid reds and yellows were contouring flames and the skeletal frame of a house, the same as he remembered it. And there, in the middle of that inferno, a black shadow was watching, a lonely child, small and forgotten. The memory still sent shivers down his spine and he could feel tears dropping all the time while was quickly painting the scene that until now he has been too afraid to paint.

It was about mid afternoon he finished and placed his watercolours and acrylic paints down, watching the piece with wide eyes. His bandages were red and his eyes finally dried, leaving an ocean of calm behind. He nursed his hand in a new set of bandages and the headed out, to college.

* * *

><p>"Shhh, that's him..."<p>

"Wow, look at his hand. So the rumours are true, he did smash the wall in the gallery."

"I won't forgive him, laying his dirty hands on our Sasuke."

"And after he even painted him. Such a beautiful portrait. I wish he would paint me as well."

"Sasuke never painted someone before, you know? Could it be he likes the guy?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes and the girls who have been observing him looked away scared, but not before shooting angry glares in his direction. The blond sighted, intent on ignoring the world around him as he walked down to the Department of Arts office, trying to find Kate, the Head of Arts to talk about what happened and the reasons for absence. People were keeping their distance but he still heard what they said.

"Hope not. We should tell him to stay away from our Sasuke!"

"You do it."

"No, hey, don't push me! You go!"

The girls looked hesitant and Naruto smirked.

"He's scary. Plan B. We need to keep Sasuke away from him. We can't let them be together. What if they get together and God knows what this pervert does to him."

Damn, those girls are idiots, Naruto thought passing them.

So he was indeed the blond that appeared in all of Sasuke's paintings. Figures. That guy really fell for him. Thinking back about the painting he's seen at all the exhibitions, all were about this lonely person, standing out amongst others, either a pair of wings or a halo on his head. The painting this morning also had a halo. And also the theme was "A World of Light" where the blond in the painting, was a fallen angel, stuck in this world, lost and unable to get back. He smiled sadly thinking how much that resembled with his own story and wondered whether Sasuke had observed the fact that he didn't belong here. But while his angel character was fallen from heavens, he was an outcast of a world of darkens, blood and violence. The only sentiment they had in common was the alienation.

Naruto sighted as he knocked at the door with his left hand and waiting for an answer before going in. He still couldn't figure out why him of all the people in the school. And now, because of the brunette, he had the whole school ready to kill him, as if his problems were not enough.

Miss Kate was sitting at a desk, sorting through her papers as she eyed Naruto from behind her glasses.

"Ah, Naruto, I see you finally decided to honour us with your presence."

He looked her in the eye, defiantly and sat down on the chair in front of her.

"I was sick, ma'am."

"And I trust you're fully healed now and strong enough now to damage school property" she said in an accusing voice, before watching him through narrowed eyes.

Naruto she sighted and leaned back in his chair.

" I know that you have special circumstances, however, you must learn to take responsibility for your actions. Luckily for you, Sasuke Uchiha has already paid the damage and someone will come and fix the wall tomorrow."

"I apologise ma'am and I'll bring the money in tomorrow. Please return his money, I don't need his favours. Also, here's my medical excuse."

He handed her the paper and stood to leave.

"Wait a moment, Naruto."

She took off her glasses and watched him with serious eyes, while Naruto tensed, knowing what she was about to say.

"If you need anyone to discuss to about your troubles, please remember that the school councillor is there to help."

Naruto sent her a death glare, before taking a deep breath to calm down. She was only doing her job.

"I'm fine, ma'am. Besides, I don't think I can be helped. I'm beyond any hope of recuperation."

With that he walked out, before she had a chance to answer. Kate didn't know all the truth but she knew a fair amount. She knew his parents were murdered in an arsonist attack and that he has been witness to many crimes. Keeper was careful enough to not mention that Naruto killed people himself or that he was part of the Red Fire group under Blaze.

He walked down the hall to the cafeteria being followed by whispers and evil glares while being lost in his thoughts. _A coffee will be good and maybe some of that cheap pizza, then sleep in the attic_. That sounded like a plan when he caught a plastic bottle centimetres before hitting his head. He watched it absent minded before turning to the group of girls that were staring at him wide eyed at the nearby tables.

"Wanna start a fight?" he asked in a soft deadly voice, smiling. The girls leaned back in their chair, under his gaze, obviously disturbed. This was not the time to lose it, he though as his inner mad self was already picturing a bloody battle. He just opened the bottle which was half filled with water and used it to throw it in their faces, the girls all squeaking away, cursing him to hell and back. He smirked, obviously pleased with himself, before turning his gaze to the rest of the people in the cafeteria. Silence descended and suddenly everyone was busy with their own food and drinks.

"That's more I like it"

Well, he wasn't one of the branch leaders in the organisation for nothing. That mad glare was enough to keep his underlings in their place.

"A double espresso, please" he continued and the girl behind the counter gulped, before slowly typing in the order in the cash machine and giving him the coffee and the change. Naruto took his cup and turned facing a stoned brunette looking his way, a look of indecision on his face. The blond shoot him a glare, not forgetting the morning incident and just strode past him, without saying a thing, going to his favourite place.

* * *

><p>Sasuke was happy the blond came back. In a way he was scared he was gonna skip another month. He still couldn't understand how the blond was still in school after so many absences. Instead he quickly paid for a cappuccino and rushed after the other, knowing he was going for the attic. But before he could dash for the door, a soft hand grabbed him by his wrist and he turned seeing his usual group looking at him expectantly.<p>

"Come have coffee with us", one of the girls pleaded and all the others agreed smiling seductively.

He smiled one of his heartbreaking smiles.

"I forgot something in the class. I need to get it then I'll join you when I return."

"I'll get it for you. What is it?" one of the girls squealed, her blue eyes shining with excitement.

This was starting to become really annoying.

"Unfortunately, I must go and retrieve it myself", he declared, letting a bit of his annoyance mix with his voice and with that he left quickly.

Ever since he started painting that portrait everyone has been asking him about his relationship with the blond. He brushed the questions aside saying he wanted to paint someone with blond hair because he suddenly became obsessed with this theme, the world of light, and Naruto just happened to be a good model.

"Why not me, Sasuke?" one of the blond haired girls asked. She was beautiful as were them all but he was not interested. Naruto's personality and lonely nature has captured his heart. In fact he was the inspiration for the whole project. But he couldn't tell them that.

While the girls agreed that the blond was damn right scary, they never thought that Sasuke would actually be interested in him. And while the brunette has made a pact with himself to not comment on his relationship with the blond as it wasn't their business and this time he really didn't want them to interfere anymore, they also couldn't just go to Naruto and have their usual little chat and scare him away.

Of course the girls still didn't know about his true feelings for the other and Sasuke was a bit worried about what will happen when they will to find out or how much trouble will they cause to Naruto. On the other hand he knew that anyone messing with the blond would not get away easily, especially after the incident in the morning. Well it wasn't as if they were together or even friends at this point, so he could still relax. He knew from their meeting in attic last time that Naruto accepted, maybe even liked guys which luckily, it made him sleep easier at night because he had been worried about that part more than anything. Sasuke would have still accepted to be friends. In fact, he still wasn't very experienced about the whole gay thingie which didn't make him feel really comfortable, so he planned to take things slow. Well he had, but his inner self still wished for that heart beating, nerve wrecking moment from before when Naruto was inches from him, except this time to actually get to kiss the guy.

He had reached the third floor and climbed the last stairs standing in front of the door to the attic, unsure of whether to go in or remain outside. Finally, taking a deep breath, eased the handle and peeked inside.

The room was clad in golden rays from the setting sun and he spotted Naruto laying on a coach, his legs up, resting. He came closer, clearing his throat but the blond didn't move. Finally he made his last few steps and was now standing in front of the other, watching him carefully.

Naruto was breathing deeply, most likely asleep, his face was so peaceful, and relaxed that he seemed much younger. Being this close, Sasuke could see deep purple bags around his eyes, the veins showing on his hands more clearly than last time indicating the blond has lost a lot of weight during his absence, while his bandaged hand was slightly red with blood that has gotten through.

"I wish I knew how to be closer to you", he murmured, and no matter how much he wanted to touch that beautiful face, he kept away, careful to not wake the other. He took a chair and sat down a bit further away to give him space and took a pen and a small sketch book out not wanting to miss this moment. Careful to place the sketchbook in an angle that the blond would not see if he woke up, he took in all the details, observing bits and pieces that he has never had the chance to see before, like his long eyelashes, the round pink lips, the three white barely visible scars that cut away at each of his cheek, the way his hair spiked up, some of it falling in his eyes, the way his clothes hanged loose on him, framing a thin yet muscled torso and stomach. The sun was starting to sink behind the far away buildings when the brunette finished and decided that maybe it was better to wake the blond otherwise they would get locked in the building.

He went near, cautiously placing a hand on his shoulder and nudged him, feeling the bones underneath. Before he even opened his mouth a hand suddenly grabbed his and his feet were pulled from underneath him, landing hard on the floor and hitting his bottom and then his back as a hand came under his head, otherwise he would have cracked his skull.

He opened his eyes slightly as the last rays of the sun lit the person currently pinning him down. Blue eyes were staring at him, tensed and slightly shocked and blond hair was touching his forehead. His heart began to beat frantically and he gulped, temporary at a lot of words, hoping that the other would not notice the sudden quake in his ribcage. Naruto slowly took his hand from under his head, backing away slightly, still watching him carefully. In a moment of madness, Sasuke brought his head up, thinking that this was the second time he almost kissed the gorgeous blond now standing above him and he absolutely refused to go home tonight thinking of another failure. Their lips met into a soft gentle kiss, Naruto blocked by the sudden turn of events and Sasuke interpreting his reaction as a negative response. Just as he was about to back away, Naruto leaned closer, kissing his lips soothing and gently, as a reassurance, sucking at his bottom lip and his tongue begging entrance. Sasuke let him in, letting their tongues meet halfway through before allowing total control to the blond which was not exploring his inner territory, his movements slow and calculated. He felt a hand brush his black hair slightly tracing a line down his jaw and neck before the blond pulled back slowly to breathe. Sasuke opened his eyes, feeling slightly dazed, his head lost somewhere up in the clouds.

He then noticed the strange look in Naruto's eyes. The blond was anxious, hesitant, obviously thinking intensively about something. Sasuke couldn't resist the urge to press his fingers over his creased eyebrows, smiling as Naruto's face relaxed, but he didn't come back for more. Instead he pulled away, before standing up and extending a hand to help him on his feet. Sasuke felt a bit disappointed, but obliged, brushing his clothes from the dust on the floor. Naruto picked his bag and Sasuke watched him, the silence between them growing really tense.

"You really like me don't you?" he asked eventually, his voice barely a whisper, trying to contain the emotions he was feeling, still not looking at the brunette, instead preferring to watch the dark red sky getting quickly swallowed by the night.

Sasuke blushed and fixed his eyes on the ground, without answering.

He heard a sight and he turned to see Naruto watch him with a very serious expression on his face, that look of indecision gone, replaced by the same indifference like before. This could not be good and Sasuke swallowed heavily waiting for whatever the other had to throw his way.

"I sincerely apologise for what just happened. Please think of it as an accident and do now take anything seriously. Also please stop coming near me, it's for the best."

Sasuke widened his eyes in shock not believing what he just heard and he felt his heart miss a few beats and something catching in his throat, making it difficult to breathe. He watched those blank blue eyes, searching for a hint that it was a lie, that he was hearing things while he felt the world around him collapse. What is this guy saying?

" I... " he was unable to continue. He tried again. "Please, don't do this..." he whispered, trying to keep control of himself. But his hands were already trembling and his legs giving in. He listened to himself thinking how pathetic he sounded. That kiss was still playing in his mind, giving him the chills. He has never experienced something so intense, so passionate, so sincere, and he knew Naruto enjoyed it as well, yet now he was trying to break everything like it never happened.

This person lived like it was no tomorrow. That intensity was something unnatural, beautiful, something that he wanted to possess. He knew now more than ever that he loved this person unlike anything else and he wouldn't let him go, because he was his light and he couldn't imagine the world without him. He raised his eyes to see the blond still looking at him, with a curious expression on his face, something between doubt and amazement.

Then Naruto smiled, and that smile lit the room and broke his heart. His painting was nothing compared with the beautiful person in front of him now, because it couldn't show the preciousness of the simple gesture. But this time those eyes remained sad and Sasuke could see the fragile being in front of him, fading, his whole existence so precarious, giving the impression that he would disappear if he closed his eyes. Like an angel lost from the world of light, he was destined to disappear for he couldn't live in this world. Those were his own paintings, his own words, yet why did they match with this person so precisely. It was like the Naruto in front of him has taken life from his paintings.

Sasuke stepped closer, taking the bandaged hand in his own, and kiss it gently. That sparkle in the blue eyes disappeared, along with the true smile, the blankness returning and he pulled away his hand slowly.

"I appreciate your feelings but I cannot help you. I have a girlfriend." he stated bleakly.

"Lies", came the whispered answer.

Naruto watched him, a bit surprised at the blunt reply.

"I am not lying, it's the truth. Do you need proof?"

The brunette nodded slowly and Naruto fished his phone from his bag, producing an image of himself with a woman kissing. He hoped the other won't notice but the picture was from last year. Cristina was one of the girls he managed to save from a cruel fate when she's been kidnapped in a disco in Spain and brought into one of the brothels he was managing.

She insisted on taking that picture of kissing him as a memory and he never thought that it would come in handy so soon. He saw the brunette becoming paler and then handing him the phone without a word. That girl was really pretty; there was no way Sasuke wouldn't believe him.

He saw the burette's shoulders fall and he looked away a saddened expression on his face.

"Why did you kiss me then?" He asked softly.

Naruto watched him indifferently, composing his face in a mask of arrogance. But inside he was disappointed as he watched the other still staring at a point in the distance. It was worse to have your hope crushed by others than yourself. That tiny bit of himself that hoped Sasuke would stick to him despite anything had to disappear.

"Just playing around" Naruto answered coldly, hoping his words would cause as much damage.

"Very funny", he murmured, sarcastically, his voice as cold as ice.

He got what he wanted, right? The brunette won't be bugging him from now on. He walked away, their shoulders brushing slightly, trying to be the same confident bastard he usually was. Hasn't he always been alone? Then why was his chest hurting.

Cold hands laced themselves around his wrist and he froze, suddenly tense and unsure. His blood turned cold when he saw deep cold black eyes watching him. Then Sasuke smiled, a soft gentle smile, creating the same effect as Naruto earlier.

"I love you. He said just as simply. Even if you have a girlfriend I still love you. I don't care, I would love you no matter what, even if you were... I don;t know, a criminal, madman, I would still love you and forgive you because u are my light."

Sasuke stopped dead, his face reddening and Naruto was by now staring with wide eyes, bewildered by what he just heard, his heart beating really fast. Did the other even realise just how big of a commitment that is? He watched the innocent pale boy in front of him and he suddenly felt old, a smile creeping on his lips.

Sasuke was by now mentally cursing himself inside for blurting everything out without thinking. He didn't mean to, yet somehow, in the intensity of moment, he let it all go out. His heart was beating frantically and he felt his hands still shaking as he slowly let go of the warm hand.

All of a sudden the phone rang, sounding cold and shrill in the silence, the moment totally broken, while the blond quickly picked it up from his bag and answered.

"Hallo?"

"Hey, kid. I got some stuff for you that need to be delivered. And some news. When will u be home?"

"Great. 30 min?"

"Good. Take care, kid."

"Thanks."

* * *

><p>"Sorry, I must leave" he suddenly said storming off, leaving Sasuke alone and heartbroken in the attic. His feelings weren't even worth answering. As the door slammed, he felt his chest tightening and tears running down his face.<p>

"What is this?" he quickly brushed them away, frustrated at his own weakness and made his way to the toilet and to pick up his stuff to go home. Maybe he was wishing the impossible.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: I do not own Naruto. This is a work of fiction.

I love this chapter. I have no idea why. I guess I really wanted to write a scene like this. Well, it's gonna get better. Also, I have limited internet so the bit about the sword and the impressionism... I hope I'm right cause I write from a 5 year old memory XD I might change it if I'm wrong

I did check my previous writing again and again and found a mountain of mistakes to the point that some paragraphs didn't even make sense. ( sorry) well, I took care of major problems and I'll check again and again as much as I can and fix it.

Thank you so much for your reviews and all you silent readers that like this piece :D I feel like a child, telling all my friends "people actually read and like what I write" *tearful* and it just makes me so insanely happy to read any line someone sends me. So really thank you.

* * *

><p><strong>7. Unconscious Love<strong>

The touch of his cold hands on his wrist still stung and he couldn't chase away the memory of that kiss. He hasn't felt like this since he was 12 when he was first kissed by one of the girls working for Gate, the old manager of the brothels. He still remembered Suzanne. She thought him a lot of things, but she was gentle and it felt more like he was looking forward to seeing her, always cuddling in her bed, just to sit by her, to watch her sleep. He would sometimes nurse her bruises or cuts while she would do the same when he came from another night out with Slash with a new cut on his cheek or an aching stomach. She died shortly afterwards of an overdose. She has been badly abused and she chose to end her life in the least painful way. She just went to sleep and never woke up, but she was the closest thing to a mother and a lover he ever had in that place.

Yet this time, it felt the same like back then. His blood was rushing, his heart beating fast, his thoughts in disarray as he rushed down the street, lost in the memories of that kiss. He turned on a shortcut through a deserted alley and continued. Keeper had news and a delivery so he better hurry. He had no time to feel like all emotional.

Still he felt sad for having to leave before sorting things out. Sasuke said he would love him regardless of anything, even if he were a criminal. He knew they were all just a way of saying things, but he couldn't stop wondering just how true were these word? Would the brunette come back tomorrow and talk to him again or would he finally stop bugging him, bitter and hateful because of the rejection. Well Naruto hadn't actually given an answer. He had no choice but to leave. If Sasuke would have known the importance of him getting home quickly, maybe he would have understood. Or maybe not. The other was just so sensitive. It didn't even matter.

Nothing good would come out of the fact that they were together. What if Mr Blaze came back and re-established the Red Fire. They would find him out. Naruto would either have to disappear somewhere far away or go to work under the boss once more. Either way, he still wouldn't be able to see Sasuke anymore. Better to not hold any false hopes for both of their sakes. And then it was the kiss. He didn't plan on this and he was really surprised when he saw the other getting close to him, pressing his lips on his lightly. All his thoughts of resistance disappeared in that moment and he gave in to that innocent passion.

That was exactly what he told himself he shouldn't do. And he has been stupid.

He thought for a moment that the brunette was someone else and as he felt the hand on his shoulder, his instincts kicked in and luckily he was able to save the other from cracking his skull and change his position so he didn't choke the other. What Sasuke did was really dangerous and luckily he was able to see his face and realise it was not an enemy; otherwise, the brunette would have been in hospital by now.

* * *

><p>Keeper sent someone with a box and brought two guns and several packets of bullets, two daggers and even a sword. The delivery man took his signature and left, oblivious of the contents of the box, his only purpose to deliver. Naruto was amazed as he took out the long red package unwrapping it to discover a long Japanese sword, the likes of which he only saw in movies. He felt like a kid on Christmas day and couldn't stop smiling. The red tag read Nagamitsu, meaning it was a veritable sword, meant for use. The note said that he had to train in using it and Naruto couldn't help the sudden happiness which made him want to dance around the house. Apparently his old friend knew someone who had a dojo in this town and was a master swordsman. Naruto sometimes just couldn't believe just how much power Keeper had. Training as an underling under Slash didn't teach the blond much except to protect his own skin and fight with knives. It proved knives were his speciality, being quite clumsy and off target with a gun. It was only after he escaped that he received some real training in karate and judo and he improved his aim and balance. He still practiced every day at a local air rifle and went to the two programs every week, the rest of the time training to remain fit. If one thing he gained from his time spent in the gang was good reflexes, endurance and survival. Keeper said those were good qualities for a spy and he should consider the job.<p>

Naruto has really had enough of killing to last for a lifetime. However, he couldn't just sit still either, a normal life seeming like something far away. Therefore his answer in the matter had been postponed.

At the bottom of the box, hidden in a pocket in the box, well crafted that nobody would have been able to find, was a piece of paper. Naruto opened it to read the news he was promised.

_"Hey Fox! I hope you like the presents. I know you were interested in swords so I even managed to find you master. The address is at the bottom. He's really picky so be prepared and don't be late. I also went and saw your painting today. Disgusting piece of work but beautiful. Send me some of your stuff. Let me know in a mail and someone will pick them tomorrow. Also, Blaze is coming in town next week. People have been sent beforehand and I heard they got a new place, somewhere in the old district. Been trying to track him, made several arrests, but still no exact news. People are already starting on drugs and two new brothels opened this week. I won't tell you more. Keep your eyes sharp, stay low and don't get noticed. Also, don't do anything reckless like going after them. You gave your word. I'll start preparations for a new place soon, in case you need it. Keep in touch. Keeps"_

Naruto sighted, picking the paper and burning it over the cooker until nothing remained. Keeper made him swear that this round he will accept help. The old man also took it upon himself to care for him, in a way that would make up for all the things Naruto has suffered. He would do anything, offer him anything, but all Naruto wanted was to go to the arts college in town and live in his old crappy apartment, wanting nothing more than peace. So instead Keeper dealt with smaller things like food, some money, the gym, the info and so on. Naruto has strictly refused to meet his so called guardian, unless it was absolutely necessary. In this way, if one was in trouble the other will not get dragged into the mess and be able to rescue the other.

He smiled watching his new sword and a glint of satisfaction lit in his eyes as he swung it around, concentrating on some complicated moves he saw on TV. Disfigured faces flashed before his eyes, bodies with cuts showing flesh and blood and he blinked several times as memories mixed with reality and the vision of his barren room came back to him. He dropped his sword and it clattered on the floor. He was shaking all of a sudden and he sat down trying to calm himself. Would sword teaching really be good for him? He eyed the sharp edge, thinking. His goal was that man so he had to brace himself and train harder, his determination stronger than the memories that were torturing him. With a soft heart like now, he could not face the master of fire.

* * *

><p>Days passed and they still haven't spoken since that night.<p>

They passed each other in the corridor always ignoring each other. Sasuke was always with someone while Naruto was always alone with his headphones on, lost in his thoughts. Even if any of them wanted to say anything, communication was impossible.

Sasuke watched as Naruto came in the classroom, taking out his notebooks and sitting in his usual place by the window. They had History of Arts. The old lady came into the classroom a severe look in her eyes before she started telling her stories about famous painters and showing pictures on the big screen in front of the classroom and giving details about what made each painting important and what needed to be learnt for the exam.

Naruto skipped into oblivion at some point, his head on the desk, eyes closed and breathing deeper and deeper. Sasuke sighted, watching the other carefully, his sleeping figure more interesting than the lesson that was presented.

"Mister Uchiha, would you mind telling us what is specific about this painting?"

There was suddenly silence and the brunette realised that even the annoying voice was strangely quiet. Sasuke snapped out of his trance, looking around and realising that everyone was staring at him expectantly. He then looked at the screen, a painting with waterlilies in front of his eyes and he opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. He knew that painting but what should he say?

"Um...aaa..."

Their teacher smiled at him, with soft eyes and a mocking smile. Finally caught the Uchiha off guard. This must be one of those one in a million days. Meaning she would finally get the brunette to stay after class and help her with her books. The thought of it made her want to dance. She then looked in the direction of where Sasuke was watching a moment ago to spot a mass of blond hair. No doubt a passed out student. Then she realised who that was: the idiot who was always absent and always absent. _Well, well, let's teach him a lesson,_ she thought.

"Mister Uzumaki?"

Sasuke watched as the blond slowly opened his eyes, momentarily confused before lifting his head and watching the image in front of him.

He cleared his voice with s short cough and continued monotonously:

"This painting came into the attention of the society of the day because its distinct representation. Monet used repeated brush strokes to show the surface of the water and the water lilies, creating the soft movement of the surface of the water and the reflection of the sky and the leaves. Water was initially treated as a dull element, being painted in an overall blue. His painting changed the way artists looked at life, capturing a moment rather than the everyday; it shows a mirage, an impression, the perspective from which he sees the world, hence his painting became a symbol for the new movement called the impressionism."

He then leaned on his hand, and stared with lazy eyes as the teacher turned red with fury, finally giving up. Sasuke couldn't help smiling, seeing the interaction between the two. Naruto was really brilliant.

"That's correct. Now please pay attention. You too, Uchiha!"

Sasuke nodded before she resumed her boring lesson. Well, he always thought the blond was sleeping. He turned his eyes again resting on the figure which once again seemed lost in the world of dreams. This time he saw the purple bags under his eyes and the scrawny cheeks and was slightly shocked. Did Naruto look like that the last time he saw him? Was he not eating or something or what was happening with him?

At the end of the lesson, just before skipping out to lunch he was called.

"Sasuke, could you please help me out with these books?"

He watched the old lady stacking about ten big tomes on her desk and then he watched the girls peeking from behind the doors of the class. He sighted, going to help his teacher. The girls all wowed and giggled and the teacher seemed a bit off with the unusual smile plastered on her face. He swore he heard the click of a camera when he went out of her office. Just how crazy were these people?

* * *

><p>Sasuke didn't see the blond sleeping in the attic anymore these days and he wasn't having his coffee either; instead he was sitting in the class, always painting, and his gaze absent minded, before he would storm out of the school at exactly five. The other odd thing was that there was always a tube for carrying paper that he carried everywhere, although he never saw the other taking anything out or putting any drawings in.<p>

Next time they passed one next to the other on the hall, there was the same ignorance although Sasuke felt the reek of smoke from the other and when he turned, he saw the blond shaking continuously as he was walking down the hall, picking another cigarette from his pocket and heading out.

He felt a hand pushing him forward and saw one of the girls turn an angry stare behind the blond who was completely oblivious of anything. Sasuke turned around and continued, the ever present crowd dragging him forward, in an endless useless chatter, but he was not following anymore, his mind still thinking about Naruto.

He wanted to turn around and go after him, ask him what is wrong and comfort him in any way he could. But he just didn't have the courage. He's been too polite and soft hearted all his life. People couldn't help loving him, like he was some sort of playboy on the top list of every woman and even some guys out there. All except that guy he loved. Was this the reason he loved Naruto? It only added to it.

Sasuke started a new painting of the blond based on the previous sketch of him sleeping in the attic but done it at home, preferring to draw trees and landscapes in college, to keep his annoying crowd of girls away from Naruto or suspecting anything. The sudden change of theme was met with many cheers and everyone believed the story of him doing the previous paint on a whim. But he had the painting of the smiling angel on the wall at home and stared at it every day, praying that they would be together.

He still felt bitter but he didn't know what to do, what to say, how to approach the other and Naruto hasn't made it easy, totally ignoring anyone who might throw a word his way, always lost in thoughts, like something was eating him alive.

* * *

><p>It was Friday already and Sasuke came back to college just in time to pick some brushes and his watercolours from his locker to work on his paintings over the weekend before the college would close.<p>

He rushed on the corridor accidentally bouncing into someone before murmuring a quick sorry and dashing through the doors to his locker. He hastily put all the stuff he needed in the bag and quickly closed his locker, hurrying back. He almost finished the new painting at home and it was incredible. Just a few more touches and it could be called a masterpiece, because this time, he actually had the time to do a proper sketch with all the details, which worked as a base.

As he came back into the corridor, heading out, he saw someone lying on the floor and his steps slowed, before dashing for the person to check if everything was ok. His breath caught in his lungs as he saw a few locks of blond hair fall from under the black hood and he quickly put is bag down, picking the blond up and shaking him slightly.

"Oi, Naruto! Wake up, man!"

He panicked even more, seeing no response and he gently lifted the other to a sitting position and unzipped his blouse to help him breathe easier. He took some water from his bag, realising that maybe the other has passed out and started to shout.

"Somebody? Anyone around?"

No answer. The guardian was probably downstairs, waiting for people to come out. He put some water in his hands and slapped the other slightly. Was he like really hot just now? And not in that way. He placed a hand on the forehead and pulled it away, alarmed. Naruto was burning and his breathing was ragged but the blond started to move slightly, blue eyes cracking open as he grimaced and rubbed his head.

Sasuke stood out of his way, relief washing over his face.

"God, are you ok? You scared the shit out of me!"

The blond nodded and tried to get up gripping at the wall of the corridor but couldn't. He then grabbed the water bottle and drank it all up, and then made another attempt to stand on shaky legs and Sasuke put his arm over his own shouder, the blond leaning heavily on him.

"What's wrong with you?" Sasuke scolded. "How can you come to college with such a fever?"

"Sorry" came the weak answer.

The other was struggling to keep awake while struggling to put one leg in front of the other and keep going.

"I should take you to a hospital."

"No, no hospital," he answered with a strange tone. "I'm fine, I'll just go home, just not the hospital."

He tried to stand on his own but Sasuke quickly grabbed him before he almost collapsed on the floor again and helped him up on his feet and down the stairs.

"I'll take you home." He said quickly." Just wait here, I'll bring the car."

Sasuke left Naruto sitting on the floor, leaning heavily on the wall and left quickly with a worried look on his face. The blond didn't look too good. He pulled his car near the entrance and helped Naruto up again before fixing him in the front seat, the seatbelt securely strapped around him.

He ran around, getting in his own seat and he turned on the car.

"Where abouts do you live?"

He was greeted with silence. Naruto's head was dropped to the side, gently lolling and Sasuke sighted, pushing the chair backwards slightly.

"This means he'll have to come to my place. Great", he mumbled to himself, starting the engine and rushing down the road to his apartment. All this time, he was thinking he had no idea how to care for a sick person. In the same time, his insides were tingling, and he felt almost like dancing. Naruto would come to his house. He felt a smile curve his lips and he couldn't wipe it off despite the seriousness of the situation. The other was severely ill and he was smiling.

He pulled his car in the underground parking and carried the blond bridal style inside, going up the first floor, before putting him down on a bed in one of his rooms. The guy was as light as a feather, just a pile of scrawny bones and skin. He took off his shoes then his hoodie and shirt, shocked by what he discovered. Besides the thin contours of his body, Naruto had numerous cuts on his skin, especially on his hands and a multitude of stitches of cut veins and skin, marks of having been burnt with the cigarette and some deep ugly scars on his chest, two bullet hole barks on his right shoulder and God knew how many on his back that the brunette couldn't see. Suddenly, those paintings seemed more real and not just a picture. But it couldn't be. He refused to believe it. Naruto didn't seem capable of doing the things he painted. Still, he had suffered a great deal of stuff himself. Who could have done such things to him? Was this the reason he was always so quiet and

He tucked the limp body under the blankets and brought a cool compress before with water on his forehead. He remembered this much from his childhood when his mother took care of him, always wiping his forehead and changing the compress to help cool him down a little bit, waiting for him to wake up. He then remained there standing, feeling so sad. The pain he suffered was nothing compared to the atrocities the other has probably endured. He now remembered that he never saw the other with a T-shirt and he always wore some tennis wraps around his wrists. Sasuke always thought it as just a whim of his, but now he saw there was a good reason.

In the end, the brunette went out, changed his clothes and took a shower and got to prepare some food, while researching online how to take care of people with a high fever. Well he's pretty much done what it was needed. For now, he only needed to wait for the other to wake up and feed him some porridge and tea and if possible some chicken soup. He did wake up Naruto and between tired protests he gave him some paracetamol with water, after the thermometer read 39.5 degrees.

Naruto didn't wake up that evening and Sasuke stood up till about 4 am, always thinking of what happened and how could he find out more, without offending the blond. The reasons for him crushing the wall two weeks ago took a new meaning. Maybe it was a memory. Should he ask about it, should he just pretend he hasn't seen anything? The memory of him always being on guard when taken by surprise like that time in cafeteria and in the attic hinted to the fact that he was always expecting an attack. Why, just what was the blond involved in? Sasuke went to sleep in the end, dead tired. Later on he woke suddenly hearing someone talking and he rushed to the other room, panicked. He then saw Naruto struggling in his sleep, fighting something or someone and relaxed while getting close to him, trying to calm him down.

"no"... the other mumbled" leave him alone... "don't go... don't leave me... ... don't let them take me there again... I'll give you the money... I don't wanna feel the pain..."

"Shhh, shhhhh, it's ok..." Sasuke cooed, sitting by him and placing and arm on his chest and the other on his head, leaning down in a semi embrace, chanting that everything was ok.

Naruto calmed down slightly, then with a shaky voice whispered his name, more like a question.

"Sasuke?"

The brunette froze momentarily before continuing to gently rub the other's chest, feeling the warmth from the other like a radiator. Naruto was still lost in his dreams, still asleep, yet somehow aware that he was near.

"It was a lie. I lied. Please forgive me, please..."

His voice sounded very weak as it cracked in a whimper that pained his heart.

"Shhh, I forgive you, shhh..." he cooed, trying to calm Naruto as he suddenly started turning furiously, wondering what horrors he was dreaming about.

"Don't leave me too" he whispered, ever so silent before a tear fell down on the side of his eyes lost in the blond hair. He reached out his hand then falling limp next to his body and calmed once more, descending into a deeper sleep and finally getting still, his breath deep and calm. Sasuke felt his heart beating so fast that it was almost bursting out of his chest.

He buried his face in the other's shoulder, feeling guilty and miserable because of his weakness. He said he would love the other despite anything, but he didn't talk to him for almost two weeks and now this happened. Naruto has been thinking about him all this time, afraid that he would lose him, while the brunette was feeling the same thing about the other. Sasuke of all people should know the pain of losing someone he loved. Yet the blond hid his feelings, refusing to let the brunette close to him, yet not wanting to let him go.

He gently stood, watching the face of the other through the dim light of the morning sky, and leaned in, pressing his lips gently on the other's, brushing the sticky blond hair from the forehead. He looked so weak, so old, so thin, so devoid of life.

He saw a drop falling on the pale cheeks and he rubbed at his eyes, not realising they were wet. Why was he feeling like this? This incredible sadness would grip his heart whenever he was around this person. Why did he always feel like he would go to college and one day the blond might not come and he would never see him again. Sasuke realised that if that happened, he would not even know where to start looking. He knew nothing of the person in front of him. Why was Naruto always so troubled? Why was nobody taking care of him? Why was he not eating? Was he poor? Was he alone? He wanted to help; he wanted to be part of the other's life, to support him. Why was he being pushed away and why was the blond refusing help so stubbornly?

What would have happened if Naruto was to be alone tonight and fall in an alley, with nobody there to care for him, to take him to a hospital or to a home? Would he have died in the cold because of his fever? Would he have been raped, run over by a car, mugged, killed or would he have made it home, would someone have taken care of him?

Just then, Naruto, took hold of his hand which was still rubbing smoothly on his shoulder and hugged it tightly, forcing Sasuke to lean on the side next to him awkwardly, watching him sleep peacefully. He smiled despite the tears that were still running down his cheeks. It was like the blond was unconsciously reaching out to calm him. He once said the brunette behaved like a woman. Well maybe he was right. But Sasuke couldn't help but want to love and protect the other. Somehow, he knew the other was suffering.

He tucked his feet under the cover and wriggled his way close to the warm body, feeling his heart beat faster and the blood running to his cheeks. He tried to get some sleep despite the awkwardness he was feeling. The other was sleeping ignorantly, a calm expression on his face.

What he didn't know was that some time later in the night, as the brunette shifted to the other side, the blond moved closer, hugging him and nesting his head on the back of his neck. Of course he was unaware of the fact that there was a person he was hugging, but loved the cold touch of the pale skin and the faint scent of flowers, while Sasuke relaxed in the warm embrace, dreaming, unaware of anything.


	8. Chapter 8

Really sorry for the delay. Don't know what took me so long. Hope you enjoy this :D**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>8. Secrets<strong>

It was warm. His mind was all fuzzy and his head was hurting like hell.

He couldn't remember his bed being so soft or his sheets smelling of flowers. And something else, something familiar that his sub consciousness has been longing for a long time, something that made him so at ease and so relaxed.

He shot up suddenly standing, his vision blackening as the blood gradually caught up with his sudden movements. He looked around at the stark white room with the single bed he has been sleeping in and the black furniture. The coldness of this place gave him the chills and the fact that he was wearing only his jeans didn't help.

_Crap. Only his jeans_. He looked down at his bare arms and torso - the skin was cut and healed too many times to count, leaving him with tons of white scars that were clearly visible on his tanned skin. He hated these scars and if possible avoided looking at them at all. They told the truth in the simplest way and were undeniable proof of the reality of his past, the consequence of his choices as a child and the revenge he had to carry. There was no escape. It was no dream. Just like his past he could never erase the marks on his body, but only hide them, while living with the thought that people would never accept him and he could never return to being normal. The choices he made will always follow him. This was his secret. Except that now, there was one more person sharing the secret besides him.

He closed his eyes recalling the memories of a dream he had the previous night. For the first time in years he hasn't had one of his nightmares, but instead dreamt of someone who was still alive. People pointed at him and hated him for his crimes. But the worst was when he saw Sasuke amongst them, a disgusted expression on his face. He had seen him walk away, as if he never existed. And then he saw the world fall apart. Was this what he was most afraid of? Has Sasuke started to mean so much to him? He remembered calling his name and the pain he felt watching the other turn around coldly. He also had a faint recollection of something more tangible. Charcoal black eyes have wept near him, promising him to not leave him and cold white hands have calmed him, kissed him and hugged him assuring him that they will not disappear. He felt his face grow hotter if possible, despite his fever and like a child; he shook his head, assuring himself that it was all a dream.

_But...Could this be his house?_

He felt his stomach jolt and the horror of the brunette opening the door. How did this happen? His heartbeat increased, realising whom the familiar smell belonged to.

Damn it all to hell.

Why was this happening to him? Well, if this was his place, then he would own his bastard friend a huge favour and somehow that didn't sit well with him. God knew what the other would ask. For a moment there he let his mind fantasize over the possibilities, his face growing darker and darker as things like whipped cream, oil paints and handcuffs were taken in consideration. If the brunette has seen his scars he would have the perfect blackmail material to make him do anything. He could either act ignorant while his life in college would be over or become a puppet in very dangerous hands. Strangely enough, both possibilities seemed attractive.

He looked around, finding his shirt and blouse and despite the pounding headache; he forced himself out of the room to meet his host.

The living room was large, with elegant dark furniture and the same white bare walls. A large black leather sofa was standing in the middle of the room, facing a huge TV and a small coffee table. The room had several doors, all closed except one which he went to right now. He could hear the soft noises of a paper being straightened and the clinging of a cup being put down, meaning his host was having breakfast.

As he walked in, he was confronted with a large newspaper covering the person sitting on the chair in a crouched position while a mug of coffee sat steaming on the table waiting. Naruto hesitated for a moment then decided that the best thing was to wait, have a polite conversation before leaving. Normally he would have just slipped out at the first opportunity but curiosity held him in place.

Just then the person in front of him let down the newspaper and Naruto was confronted with a very cute image of Sasuke wearing glasses and a loose shirt that was hanging down just covering his boxers. The oversized piece of material made numerous creases at his wrists, highlighting his thin shoulders and once in a while showing a bit of the creamy skin. Naruto caught himself staring, his mind going back to earlier images, only adding a cherry on top. He shook his head, hoping to shake out the thought as well and forced himself to focus, despite the fever.

_What was with this guy?_ He thought. _Does he always have to be so provocative?_

Sasuke watched the blond curiously with an amused smirk on his face and a vague idea of that the other has just thought.

"Good morning. Feeling better?"

Naruto glared at him catching on the little acting game and sat himself at the table locking eyes with the brunette before answering. If this was a mind game, he would not be fooled.

"Yes much better, thanks."

Sasuke offered him a honey sweet smile and Naruto copied him, the gesture looking awkward on his face.

"Would you like anything to eat or drink?"

If this guy was acting, he was doing one hell of a good job because Naruto was starting to slowly lose his patience.

"No thanks, I'm fine," he answered, stressing the word "fine" a bit too much.

Sasuke kept his eyes on the blond, watching and waiting for disaster to strike. Naruto was still not doing anything but the air around them was heavy with tension already.

"Why is it always you?" The blond asked suddenly.

Sasuke was a bit taken aback by the lack of physical reaction and chose his words carefully keeping his tone level and his trying to remain strong in front of the growing storm.

"Because I love you."

Blue eyes narrowed and the brunette kept his face neutral as if saying the most natural thing ever. Naruto sighted an exaggerated sight, then rested his head on his hands and watched Sasuke carefully, deciding it's about time to get things serious.

"Who sent you?"

No reaction and Sasuke produced the most convincing and the most innocent expression of confusion that the blond has ever seen.

"Who... what? "

"Who sent u? What is your purpose?"

Sasuke kept the same innocent expression when he answered, but a flicker of understanding flashed in his eyes. So the blond has really been part of a gang. And he thought that that fact that he was taken in was because of another reason.

"I'm just your classmate. I did it cause I love you.

The table stirred as a very loud hit resonated into the kitchen. Dust fell as the blond removed his hand from the place he hit the wall a small crack remaining. _That was solid concrete just now!_, Sasuke thought.

When he turned his eyes from the wall, he was confronted with cold blue eyes, hard as steel and a determined expression that told of years of experience and of how serious this thing was. The person he saw now was no longer the cold yet calm Naruto, the person with a fragile heart and a shy personality. This guy was a killing machine and he, Sasuke, has just flipped the switch to on.

"Who sent you?" He repeated, on the same cold, flat tone.

He turned his gaze to mirror the same coldness, determined to protect his house from the blond and to prove his point once and for all. _You really like smashing things don't you?_

"For the last time, no one sent me and I would appreciate if you wouldn't ruin my house."

His skin was prickly as the air in the room seemed to have dropped a few degrees. Sasuke soon realised his mistake, his answer probably only made things worse. Seconds ticked by, their bodies tense, not even daring to breathe but none backing down.

Naruto then stood, his gaze still locked on the depths of Sasuke's black eyes and he turned, going out of the kitchen and grabbing his shoes from his corridor. Sasuke quickly followed, stopping the blond as he was about to open the door. He wrapped his arms on his torso in tight embrace, refusing to let go.

"Wait, don't go, and listen to me..."he ordered, stressing the word listen.

Naruto struggled, trying to break free but the brunette ground himself and wouldn't let go of the other despite all the force he was trying to tear his hands apart and off him. Finally he gave up, suddenly growing quiet and calm and Sasuke took the opportunity to bury his face in the warm back, enjoying the warmth and the proximity, his heart beating at incredible speed, but despite the euphoria of being so close to his lover, he felt incredible calm.

"I can imagine you've had a terrible life until now... and I understand why u don't trust people... but I love you... very, very much... and I wouldn't hurt you...believe in me"

This was so cheesy that he expected the other to turn around in any moment and slap him, but this was the best he could do at the time. He braced himself by what was coming expecting the punch to actually connect with his face this time. The other was very protective towards his private life.

Instead he felt the other suddenly lean into his hands, and sasuke took action quicky, leaning the blond on his back and half dragging him to his room, guessing what happened. The airhead had a 40 degrees fever and he was moving about, hitting walls and getting angry. Sasuke dropped him in bed, pulling out the shoes again, but not touching the rest of his clothes. Naruto's eyes, though still open, were slowly loosing focus and his breathing was coming out wheezing.

Sasuke brought him water then took his injures hand and pulled it to clean it and bandage it. He felt the blond flinch every now and then but he never made a single sound. If that fist would have connected with his face, he would probably be in hospital, Sasuke thought. When he finished, his hands rested a bit more on the cuts at the wrist, then seeing Naruto watching him, he quickly let go and pulled back.

"Disgusting, aren't they?" he demanded, his voice barely louder than a whisper.

Naruto had his head turned to the other direction and although Sasuke couldn't see his expression, all of a sudden he felt ashamed, realizing what the other meant. He then saw Naruto smile, a thin sad smile from the corner of his mouth his head slightly turned. His chest hurt and he suddenly felt so empty, like the whole world disappeared before his eyes, except for the sick teen in front of him.

He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. The shadows hiding behind that sad smile, the eyes like mirrors of his hurting soul and so, so much pain, that Sasuke suddenly didn't want to know about Naruto's past anymore, or the story of the pain and torture the other went through, but only to wipe away that pained expression of the blonde's face, to tell him that he is beautiful regardless of anything and that all was behind him now and he should not let his past hunt him down.

Blue eyes closed and before Sasuke could answer, Naruto fell into oblivion.

"Damn it", the brunette whispered, quickly running into the kitchen and coming back with some porridge. Naruto has not eaten anything since the day before and with this fever he needed some energy. Sasuke pulled the unconscious guy up in a relatively sitting position and forced the liquid down his throat earning some coughs and several intelligible murmurs.

Naruto needed some serious help. The fever has now lowered to 40, but 2 more days like this and he might not make it.

* * *

><p>Hours later he opened the door. A tall man dressed all in black carrying a large leather bag with him came in, breathing hard, his face tired. He was wearing a long black coat, his face was covered till above his nose with a black scarf and one of his eyes had an eye patch, making it very hard to guess what was he thinking most of time because of the limited display of expression. The most striking aspect was his silver Mohawk hair, only that his was sticking up like that naturally.<p>

Sasuke greeted him warmly, shaking hands.

"So glad you could come Dr Kakashi. I am sorry for the short notice."

"No problem. When I heard the conditions I had no choice. Where is he?"

"He's in the room. There is a slight problem. Would you like to come in the kitchen with me?"

Kakashi took down his coat and followed curiously. Sasuke rarely called him unless it was an absolute emergency, and never before has he actually called requiring his services for another person. Just who was this guy that the brunette was so interested in.

Sasuke poured some coffee for them both and sat down indicating the doctor to do the same. He took a sip then turned his gaze on the man sitting in front of him, his eyes growing serious and cold, while keeping the most innocent smile. Kakashi gulped slightly but tried to calm down and listen carefully. Whatever the other was about to say could not be good.

"You have never seen him. If any word leaks out of that room, I would know whose head I should be looking for. He's mine now and I would like to keep him... and lastly, he might be violent with strangers."

He smiled, his expression so much more cheerful compared to the previous moment when he threatened the silver haired man, that you would think the two persons were not the same. At that last remark he pointed towards the small crater in the wall and Kakashi widened his eyes when he realised what that meant, visibly alarmed.

The doctor gulped and nodded. The boy in front of him was no threat really. But the one protecting him was someone to fear. If he valued his life, he would do well to always remain on the Uchiha's good side.

Sasuke smiled wickedly, pleased with the result then continued on a calmer tone.

"He had 42 degrees yesterday and 40 now. His temperature is not dropping and I don't know what to do. He woke in the morning then fell asleep shortly after. Since then he hasn't moved at all. I fed him some porridge but it might not be enough. He's very weak."

Kakashi watched the teen in front of him stare into space, his expression so soft and worried that any person would feel jealous for all that care and pain he was suffering for this mysterious person. He sighted, slightly amused. Teenagers and their love stories. He could understand. Sasuke wanted this boy and was hiding him from any hard that could befall him. Thinking about the brunette's past, his actions were normal.

Kakashi picked his bag with tools and followed Sasuke in the dimly lit room that the boy indicated. As he came close, the brunette pulled the cover revealing the sleeping figure of a blond teenager, with slightly tanned skin and three cuts on each cheek, making them seem like whiskers.

Kakashi paused, his heart rate increasing. This couldn't be true. He turned the teen and faced him, while he skilfully pulled the T-shirt he was wearing off him to be able to check his lungs and pulse. His heart stopped in his chest as he saw all the marks on the body and the bullet marks near where the heart should be. His eyes once again rushed to the scars on the cheeks. He recognised those marks. Images of the fox demon rising out of the fire came back to him with flames roaring behind him like tails of destruction coming to burn all the evil clean. His hands began to tremble.

"No..." he whimpered"...n- no... he... he should have been dead..."

Kakashi took a few steps back, his eyes dilated as he watched the still sleeping figure in the bed.

He was the one that burned the whole place down that night, the one who killed all the people. But he was dead; he was shot in the heart before the whole roof collapsed on him. In a confusion of smoke, fire and blood, he could still remember the face of the demon who singlehandedly destroyed one of the strongest organisation in the country in one night.

Sasuke watched him questioningly and then made the connection.

"You know him."

"Minato Kazekage...also known as Mr Fox or the fox demon..." Kakashi responded automatically, without even taking his eyes off the blond, afraid that the boy might jump on him in any second.

Sasuke kept his eyes on the doctor but this time didn't sketch any reaction. Of course Naruto would have changed his name. But the more he heard, the more he realised the gravity of his classmate's situation. If kakashi would say a word or this boss would find out that Naruto was alive, he would be the one responsble for his capture and apparently for his death as well. Kakashi would not be this afraid if Naruto wasn't some really dangerous person. Meaning Naruto was like him?

Sasuke coughed slightly, his eyes cold once again, staring at the man. Kakashi slowly came back to his senses but his hands were still shaking when the checked the breathing and the pulse of the sleeping teen. Once he was over he came in the kitchen and he wrote a prescription of lungs medicine, fever, headaches and vitamins.

"He should be all right if he takes these pills and stays in bed for a week or so. If he were in hospital they would put the IV on him and keep him in intense care for a few months. He's anorexic and deadly thin. At this rate he won't last long. I'm amazed he's alive with that fever and even has the power to smash walls... But then again, I shouldn't be surprised... it's him after all."

"What do you know about him, Kakashi?"

The man froze then turned to see the boy staring at him with the same arrogant and commanding eyes, hid expression so similar to his brother. He had no choice but to answer. Yet he couldn't believe the teen was housing one of the most dangerous men in the country and didn't know about him. If his brother knew...

"Minato Namikaze, second boss of the Red Flares group, worked directly under boss Blaze. He was said to be his successor. This boy had a hand of steel with his subordinates and the cunning of a fox. He was also called the Grim Reaper for the satisfaction he took in his killings and the luckiest man in the group to always miss death by millimetres. From what I've heard he was picked off the streets and raised by the gang when he was about 5. He was also the one to wipe out the entire organisation in one night. Not just the people, but the properties were given to the gouvernment, the guns and drugs were burned, all the money turned in, all women given to police and put into rehab centres for which everything was paid, every place with the respective name of the patient. Maybe 5 or 6 people of the gang survived of which 2 are still in intensive care. Of those only me and the boss knows who was behind it all. This boy was supposed to be dead."

He swallowed heavily, as memory took over his mind once more and he shivered.

"He shot him in the heart. I saw it myself. This guy is a demon;nobody could have survived that."

Sasuke nodded, choosing to keep his opinion for himself.

"Thank you very much, Kakashi. I hope I can count on you in the future as well."

Kakashi smiled slightly, his eye showing the gesture more than his mouth. He picked the small suitcase, after which he quickly made his way out, afraid to look back.

Sasuke was left behind with a new mountain of information to sort through. Who would have guessed Kakashi was involved with Blaze. But then again, Kakashi was a doctor, he was involved with everyone. And Naruto was a second in command of one of the strongest mafia groups in the country. Of all the possibilities he hadn't thought that the situation for him was this bad.

"Minato Namikaze..." he murmured. He knew that name from somewhere. It was someone famous a long time ago. He remembered people talking about him, it was all over the news. But when and what was it about. It was such a long time ago that he couldn't remember anymore.

He picked his jacket and keys and slid out to get the medicine prescribed for the blond. Random thought were going around his head. All those scars and the guarded personality, it all made sense now. But if he was really a mass murderer, could he love such a person?

He remembered the other cry his name in his sleep the other night. Then he remembered that despite his cruelty and his actions, he still loved his brother. Then what if Naruto was to disappear tomorrow, would he be able to live on? Sasuke has thought about this countless times. The memory of the blond sleeping, keeping away from him then the soft passionate kiss they shared. He felt himself blushing. Despite everything, he loved the blond. He promised he will no longer run away and now when his friend needed it the most, he would become his support.

* * *

><p>As the door closed and was then locked, a tear fell off the closed eyes of the blond teen lying peacefully in bed. He tried to move but he was feeling dizzy and his body was like trying to animate a bag of bricks. He collapsed helplessly. His muscles were hurting and his mouth felt dry.<p>

Now that he was conscious, until he fell into oblivion again, he couldn't help but reflect on the things he just heard. How could Sasuke do this, how could he betray him so? And to a person who knew so much about him. One false move and his whole life could fall to pieces not to mention the bastard could be caught in this and die as well. He has come to in the moment the stranger started telling his story. He then fought so hard to keep his emotions locked in as a cold hand brushed his hair carefully, cold lips planted a kiss on his forehead and Sasuke covered him, arranging the sheets so carefully, so lovingly. Such a naive bastard, trusting a complete stranger with his life.

Naruto now needed to move to a new school now, a new town and disappear as Keeper suggested in the first place. He let his guard down for one moment and this happened. It was his fault entirely, he should have never trusted Sasuke. People are all the same no matter how much they blabber about love and trust. They are all the same.

His body still refused to move but he had to get out. He hadn't survived so far to die like this and he would not let any more people get involved with him anymore or die for his sake.

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><p><em>Cold hands lace around him and pull him closer.<em>

_He fights to escape but there is nothing he can do. He is trapped and his captor bends down and bites his ear, then laughs mockingly at him. _

_This can't be happening. Not him. He said he loved him and he trusted him. How could he do this?_

_Cold hands touch his neck, his face, making him shiver and the other smiles at his reactions. _

_He then feels the other grab his chin and tilting his head, forcing him to stare in those black eyes he loves so much. _

"_I love you" he whispers and brings his face down their lips locking in a forceful kiss._

_His mouth is invaded and the only thing he can do is accept it all and block his mind, hoping to protect himself._

_But it's far from over. He feels a hand move on his thigh and touching his crotch. He shivers once again, unable to suppress a moan. Another chuckle and this time, that hand begins to massage his sensitive parts delicately, while he struggles to keep it all in, still unable to escape. His wrists hurt from struggling, his pride the only this left unconquered as he tries to lock everything inside him. _

_Pressure builds to the point he can't take it no more and then he feels a cool mouth taking him in and giving him that extra bit that makes his jolt with pleasure no longer able to suppress his reactions. He then falls back, breathing hard and unable to move. _

_His pants removed, the other takes off his own trousers and then bends, sticking two fingers roughly inside of him, making ready to get it all back. _

_He cries. He can't do anything except cry. And then he is left there broken, his face buried in pillows, unable to stop from trembling because of his pain and misery. _

_He feels cold hands then pick him up and embrace him and he now cries in the arms of the one that caused him this pain, as the other sooths him, gently rubbing his back and patting his head. _

"_shhhhh, little brother... shhhhh, calm down, go to sleep... it's all a dream... shhhhh, you'll wake up soon and you'll see it's just a dream..."_

_But it as a lie. He couldn't understand why. His own brother, the one he loved, the one he looked up to the most... how could he..._

"_Why... "he whispers weakly as his sobs calm slightly, but now he's afraid that knowing will be worse than anything. _

_His brother laughs then kisses his head lightly with so much care and affection that it hurts. _

"_Because I love you"_

Sasuke jumped out of bed, sweating and confused at the diffuse light in his room. It was getting closer to sunrise and the sky was a pale shade of blue with a few clouds here and there. He rubbed his eyes and stared at the ceiling as he laid back in his place. He then turned and looked at his alarm clock.

5.30. Too early.

He was not going to be able to sleep now. Not after such a dream.

He stood up slowly and got out of bed, swaying and he dragged his feet to the bathroom. Naruto has been sleeping since noon the other day, and although it has been a hassle, he has managed to get some of them damn pills and his fever has gone down a bit. Last time he checked, it was 38.7, but a huge improvement from 40.3. Maybe today, he would feel better.

As he passed by the room he noticed something amiss. He got closer realising the blond hair was missing being repaced with pillows, carefully arranged to look like a person sleeping.

Sasuke cursed, turning to the entrance and finding no shoes either. A peak outside showed the streets were clear, with no indication of any person outside at this hour. Busses will start running soon and the blond will probably get home.

Who will care for him? His fever has just gotten a bit lower.

"Darn him, that idiot!" he shouted, also angry that he hasn't been more attentive and locked the door better.

He has missed his chance.

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><p>Somewhere else, Naruto was cursing his luck much more. Why did Sasuke live so damn far away? He had left his wallet with his bag at university probably in the attic and he had no money and no keys. He begged the bus driver to let him on, telling about his fever and he finally accepted. The lock was a tough try, in his dazed state of mind and with the headache and pins, listening for potential clicks, took him ten times longer than normal.<p>

By the time he got it and collapsed in his bed it was already 9. He was cold and his head was worse than ever. So many hours in the cold would have a devastating effect on him especially in the current condition. But he couldn't just stay there like that. Unlike Sasuke he was fully equipped. Codeine will do the trick with his fever and anything else, he'll see afterwards. After stuffing himself with them he dragged himself in the bathroom taking a quick warm shower then back in bed, sleep a welcome state of mind. The good thing was that the bastard didn't know where he lived, making it a bit more difficult for the doctor to trace him. But he will be found eventually. The only advantage he had was that he knew that someone from the underworld has found out and that gave him some time to get ready.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's note: I do not own Naruto.**

It's like... 3 am. Been working on this for 2 days now.

Following a lot of bad comments on this chapter :D Thanks lot for the reviews btw

It seems my fears were right and the scene was a bit forced. So I changed it and readjusted it.

As for any confusion, please read the comments I left in the review section. I hope things will be a bit clearer in the future for those reading this fic. I did warn people, this is not some love fluffy beautiful story, filled with pink and roses :D Unless you can stomach it, don't read it. And don't write to me about being disgustingly oppressive, sick, cruel or whatever; that was my intention from the beginning.

Untill later, enjoy! :D

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><p><strong>9. Recollection<br>**

Naruto looked back as the dummy fell and smiled.

His control has gotten better.

"Don't celebrate so early." a harsh voice called behind him and he forced to concentrate again.

"Do those 500 times until the sun sets! Now concentrate! Saki! Bring him more poles!"

The girl in question nodded and hurried to the garage where the old man was keeping his winter supplies. Naruto smiled at the irony of chopping his master's logs for winter fire and continued with his training. Emptying his mind was difficult with so many things to think about, but the exhaustion has helped him at least sleep a dreamless sleep while the daily work required him to not think at anything. He's been breaking so many wooden swords, that Mr Hunter has gone crazy with anger. But finally after a week of continuously training in meditation and control, he has finally achieved something.

He hasn't gone back to school. Once he found the energy to move, he contacted Keeper. The man was mad with worry, organising a team to search for him and so on. He was harsh when he heard of Naruto's carelessness and even harsher when he heard about the doctor and the fact that he knew about his past. After investigating, Dr Kakashi was a well known figure in the underworld and used to work under Blaze directly. But since the fall for the Red Flares, he has pledged his services to the Crimson Clouds, a new group which was mostly an assassin group. They were doing the cleanup and were mostly focused on keeping the balance between the major mafia groups.

Nobody knew who exactly their leader was, but their job was perfect. Naruto was surprised that Keeper was able to acquire that info so quickly, but when he asked about Sasuke, not much was known. He found out that the boy was an orphan and that his family died when he was younger in a car accident. But nothing was found on Sasuke's connection with Kakashi, the Crimson Clouds or the Red Flares.

Thinking back at his friend he always seemed so innocent, so cheerful, so lovable. Nobody would think he had connections with such a black world. When has the light become so dark? But even the sun has a dark side. The memory of betrayal and that awful care he arranged his sheets and made him drink pills and kissed his forehead and that innocent look when he lied in his face that he didn't know anything. Naruto was ashamed of himself. He should have noticed. Every normal person stayed away from him, realising there's something off with him, yet Sasuke didn't seem to mind, he was even curious.

But what was worse were the growing feelings that were taking root in his heart. He really believed Sasuke when he said he loved him, he really believed him when he said he was doing this of his own choice, he really believed all that crap he said. There were times when he even thought of Sasuke as his only chance and his only bridge back to a normal life. Instead nothing changed. It was all a lie.

What was the point of anything? He would soon be found. He would need to be able to defend himself because this time he was alone and with no advantage and no protection. But he had to survive and carry his mission. Blaze will go down to hell.

He hit the sword of the pole and it broke on his hands, in a mass of splinters.

"Concentrate you idiot! Empty your mind of useless things!"

Mr Hunter was not missing a thing, right? And he has become even harsher since his absence. Naruto could only wonder what Keeper has said to convince him to take him back.

His hands were bruised and blistered as he threw the broken handle in a bin nearby and picked another sword from the pile. This time he would not think. This time he would slice the pole like it's a straw in the wind.

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><p>It's been a week already and he was growing restless. Nothing has changed and nobody noticed the blond's absence. Has he gotten home in one piece or has he died somewhere? Maybe Kakashi has prescribed him poison. Will this be another month without seeing him?<p>

Sasuke sat at his usual table drinking his juice while the girls around him chatted endlessly about nail polishers, the latest fashion and the new singer while comparing him to their prince. This didn't mind to him because it was probably the only time of the day to think.

_Could Naruto have heard him? Or was this another one of his whims?_

His knowledge grew richer and richer every night. Minato Namikaze was a chief policeman who worked against the organised mafia. Apparently he gathered enough information and proof to put Blaze behind bars, which was why he was always in mafia attention. His family has been put under protection but corruption and information leakage finally killed him and his wife in a fire leaving a boy at the age of five behind. Nobody took him in since they were afraid that the Red Flares will come after him.

The boy's name was not given because of protection reasons so Sasuke could only make the connections.

Then 3 years later, the number of murders increased in the area and the neighbouring cities. Most of the victims were past drug dealers, thieves, whores, debt payers, even gangs leading the police to believe that it was mafia related events. The reason these cases received so much attention was because of the horrible thing that was done to the bodies of the victims. One year later, the number of killings drops and the main suspect of the disfigured bodies, Andrew Coolingham was later found dead.

In the same year, boss Blaze is seen with a red haired kid with dark skin and the same whiskers on his cheeks, walking close besides him. There were photos in a conference as Blaze was also a major business man. His company was straightened, and his public relations and image was greatly improved, his wealth grew and a lot of his enemies were killed during that time. He became an important figure for a few years. Police started going after a new Slasher, since many of the kills started having certain features like the previous suspect, making police believe the guy left an accomplice. Except this person was more humane. He would kill his victims before playing with their bodies.

Judging from Naruto's paintings he had a true obsession with disfigured bodies as a form of art. Could he be painting from memory or was it a way to cure his desire to kill? And not only was he a psycho, but he even had a few paintings displayed in the National Museum. While most people would see those as something abstract, there was a chronology to them, like a journal. He found a small article describing a kill about a mother and a baby which was done by Slash, then later on, the heart with the bone and the person with the cut neck. The fact that Naruto knew about this meant that he has seen it personally of he has been the accomplice or the subordinate the police were talking about who was working with slash. Another curious fact about Naruto was his secretive nature and the fact that any reference to his past or a more cheerful side of him were very violently dealt with. Then he thought about the blond's unnatural strength, his well build body and the many scars he possessed. He was Minato without a doubt.

Then a year ago, the city went in flames. Many buildings were burned, women were freed to the police and put into intensive care which was paid from anonymous accounts, drugs and arms deposits were burned leading to many explosions, many criminals suspected of drug handling, abuse, rape, theft or even murder were killed and a great deal were put in jail with charges and videos and detailed proof of their accusations.

There were not many details about what or how it happened. There was also not enough proof to arrest Blaze even though he was at the scene of the crime. He suffered severe burns, but once he woke up, he declared Minato Namikaze the culprit. Many of the arrested declared the same. Except that the man himself died in the fire, and Blaze relocated to another town and kept his activities to a minimum, until now when he announced his extinction once again to this town.

Now the discussion was that the person who destroyed the Red Flares in one night might have been Minato's son. However the police denied any accusation, declared that teenager was uninvolved and his name still hasn't been given.

Has Naruto been protected by the police in this whole operation? Maybe even supported. However, Kakashi and Blaze were firmly convinced that that he has been alone in the whole operation and that he has been shot during the arson. Indeed Naruto had taken maybe 6 bullets 3 of them dangerously close to his heart from what he's seen and remembered, but he was alive. How could he have pulled the whole deal in one night?

This was gathered in a week and he was quite impressed with what he managed to put together because of newspapers and news. He felt like a detective in action. The only problem was that he wasn't sure just how much of this was real and how much speculation. Maybe Naruto wasn't the guy. Maybe the signs on his cheek were from another incident. Maybe he was a film stuntman.

Or maybe he still hasn't come to terms with all the things he learned. His precious quiet classmate, whom he has watched over for almost a year now, who always disappeared in the afternoons to sleep in the attic and painted gruesome things and didn't talk to people. He thought he knew everything about him, his habits, his way of talking, and his gestures. Even his cranky nature was something he expected and learned to accept and work around. But all of a sudden this same calm quiet person was a killer, ex second in command of a mafia group, a trained fighter and someone who has seen hell more than once.

He has fallen in love with him and promised when he has seen him crying in so much pain, at the brink of unconsciousness, calling his name, that he will always be there for him and no matter what he learned about him he would not back down. Now he realised that this wasn't the only reason he loved the blond. Ever since his parents have died, he has been caught in this whirlpool of danger and every time he thought he has made it through, he only discovered that he had sunk deeper. He has been locked in a cage for too long, afraid to even try to escape, unable to love. Naruto was meant to be his light, to free him. Now he found out that in fact Naruto was the abyss himself. But in the same time it was because he was what he was, that he was the only one capable of saving him.

In the same time, the blond would have an army of enemies, being one of the most wanted men in the country if word got out that he was here and how he looked like now. And yes, it seemed that he was seen as a darker skin guy with red hair. It seems he has taken some changes.

He got hold of some random photos and he was shocked of the changes. His hair was longer, straight and his skin was always shining, dark brown like he was a model, the guy probably using some sort of make-up and his eyes were brown. His nickname has been The Fox, because of the three lines on each cheek that made him so easily recognisable. Now that he thought about it, he has seen something on his cheeks but never anything clear. Probably because he has been ill, the powder or whatever he was using has rubbed off. Wasn't that how Kakashi has recognised him despite the changes?

Looking at that person and Naruto, he couldn't make the connection. It was as if they were two different people. Yet Kakashi has recognised him instantly. Almost too quick. Could they have been looking for him? Has his brother told him to check the person living with his little brother more thoroughly? Did his brother know? Will the doctor betray him? Surely he wouldn't dare.

It didn't help that Monday, the blond still didn't show up. Sasuke manned up and stayed after hours, tiptoeing on the teacher's corridor and once the ghost was clear, he picked the lock of the director's office. Once inside he spent the next hour going carefully through files and files until he found what he was looking for.

* * *

><p><em>You will not get the sword until you have mastered patience and control. A wooden sword is good enough for you until then. <em>

Naruto grumbled angrily boiling himself a pot of ramen to eat. He was so tired and the next day it will not be easier. He has dismissed the man a bit rudely tonight running away in the hope to escape the one hour morale about how useless he is. He swore Mr Hunter was doing it on purpose.

He shuddered, thinking of all the possible ways the man could torture him, when he heard a knock on the door. He instantly turned off everything and picked his gun, a few knives and his wooden sword and tiptoed to the door carefully, listening to any sound. Damn, why didn't he leave the real sword at his house? What if he needed it?

His front door and wall have been reinforces with a sheet of thin aluminium as a precaution. It would not totally protect him but will not get him by surprise at either, being shot as he opens to the postman.

"Who is it?" he called trying to sound cheerful despite the tension he was feeling. He crept near the door and looked though the keyhole.

"It's me" came the plain, hushed answer and Naruto's eyes widened when he saw the man at the door.

_Shit! Shit! Total shit! _

He looked at the tools at his waist and decided to get rid of them before opening the door. Sasuke didn't get the chance to say anything. As soon as the door was opened, Naruto grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him inside quickly after which he closed the door.

As Sasuke straightened, Naruto looked at him from head to toe him, his face a mask of fury. He must have a lot of nerve to come here unannounced.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

The brunette smiled innocently.

"I'm glad to see you as well" he answered sarcastically "It's good to know that you are not dying in an alley somewhere".

Naruto chose to ignore what he said.

"How did you find this address?"

"Kate's office was very easy to access."

Naruto's immediate reaction was "Huh?"

Sasuke smiled smugly, obviously pleased with himself, watching him with bright clear eyes, in a most seductive and cute way. Naruto resisted the urge to smack himself at the thought. He must not forget what happened at the other's house and the incident with the doctor. Now he had two choices, to either face Sasuke about it or fake it and play nice.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked.

Blue eyes glared at him.

"What do you want? Have you come to confirm the address of the person you are going to kill?"He asked his voice heavy with anger and pain.

The brunette felt his insides going cold. Naruto was sitting there, looking away, obviously troubled by what he said, but when he turned to face him, he could read the disgust in his face. He felt himself shiver under the cold gaze as he connected the dots.

"You were awake."

"So this time you're not even trying to hide it. Good. You are becoming a better person, I see" he commented sarcastically.

"I'm sorry" he answered quietly.

Silence. And dragging.

Sasuke felt his heartbeat increasing.

The clock was ticking. A car skid outside. A siren was sounding somewhere far away.

The blond laughed all of a sudden.

"Sorry?" he asked, his voice quiet and dangerous.

Naruto laughed like a madman. Maybe he was losing it, seeing how his life was on the brink of destruction because of such a stupid reason.

"You're sorry. Hmm, let's see what I can do with your sorry..."

"He won't tell!" Sasuke cut him. But he was no longer totally convinced of whether that was true or not.

Naruto slapped his hand on his forehead in exasperation.

"Are you a child? Just how stupid can you be?"

Sasuke watched him, a desperate guilt in his eyes.

"Do you believe every single thing people tell you?" Naruto continued, "We don't live in such a beautiful world."

By now Sasuke was looking away, ashamed of his naivity. Dr Kakashi will not betray him, he had to believe in this.

"He will not tell, he won't " he kept saying.

"And what makes you so sure?" Naruto demanded.

Sasuke didn't answer. He couldn't tell Naruto about his connection with Kakashi or anything else. By now Naruto was laughing really, his expression a mixture of happiness, frustration and despair.

"I really hate you", the blond then said coldly.

Sasuke didn't dare look at him, but something inside him hurt. This was no longer the usual everyday confrontation, when he would know that he could come the next day and sort things out somehow. This time it was serious and he wouldn't be forgiven.

"I don't want to ever see you again", the blond continued.

Naruto leaned on the edge of his couch and faced Sasuke.

"Now get out of my house."

His chin was raised high, his blue eyes ruthless.

How could he have trusted this guy when in the first occasion he has betrayed him? All he asked was for a place to live in peace, to be accepted, a place to be able to come back to when this was all over, to start a life. But this could never happen. He was the darkness, he would always belong there, he would never be accepted back. His revenge has become his life. He would always belong to the other side of the line.

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><p>As the words sunk in, Sasuke felt his whole body starting to tremble, tears gathering at his eyes. If he walked out of the door at this moment, he woould never see Naruto again. He would never let him go again. He woudl accept it all and take it upon himself and share the burden Naruto was sharing. He would not walk out this time. He would protect the blond, even if he had to offer himself as a sacrifice instead. As long as they both lived, he would find a way to be with him, but once the blond was gone, he wasn't sure he could continue living. This was the price he had to pay for his mistakes.<p>

Sasuke raised his head; his dull eyes boring into clear blue and Naruto felt the temperature in the room drop a few degrees. Memory stirred of a shadow with a similar face and with red eyes in a mass of flames.

"I will not go", the brunette said. "I will not let you go."

Naruto was suddenly quiet taking an awkward step backward. Fear sparked in his eyes as he backed down, his insides tightening while his mind was caught in a flashback. He looked at Sasuke as if seeing him for the first time, really taking in all de details of his lifeless black eyes, his dark hair framing his white milky face and the detached expression on his face. He knew that face from somewhere.

Sasuke took a step forward, oblivios of the sudden change in Naruto's expression. He had to tell him that he will be safe. That he will be protected.

Naruto felt his heart beating faster and a shiver ran his back. He recalled the coldness he felt in the mass of flames. And his chest started to hurt, in the area where he's been shot. His skin got cold and sweat drops started to form at his temples. It was suddenly hard to breathe. He took yet another step backwards, getting closer to the wall behind him. The one who shot him was not Blaze, nor Kakashi. He remembered them both struggling to run away through the burning furniture and the falling walls. There was someone else there. When the two have fled and the roof collapsed trapping him, the person there kept watching him and smiling. How was he able to resist the flames and the smoke? Why was he so happy?

Then in the roar of flames he heard a song; a calm, soothing song, that chilled him further. The stranger was singing a lullaby, his voice so soft and deep that he felt tears running down his cheeks and then they were quickly dried by the heat around him.

He didn't realise that he was leaning against the wall and that Sasuke has travelled all the distance between them and was raising his hand to his face, wiping tears off his cheek, smiling mildly, but his eyes just as cold and detached as the person he was seeing in his mind. How could Sasuke know the melody the man was humming? Why was he smiling and humming a lullaby? The memory of this man became clearer.

He has come close and has kneeled next to him, his dark long hair framing his face as he stood over him. His face looked older but he looked exactly like Sasuke.

"Such a shame" he sighted, sadly. "I needed you for a bit longer. But you hindered my plans."

The sad smile was almost mocking, his eyes gentle, like telling him that he has done his best but it was time to give up but it was all is fault and he had no choice but to accept defeat. The stranger then bent down and kissed him gently, his thumb caressing his face softly. He remembered those lips, so cold, like a corpse. His memory mixed with reality, leaving him numb. Sasuke was kissing him, with the same cold soft lips. So much like of that man. His eyes regained focus, watching the long eyelashes flutter softly, feeling the touch of the silky hair on his skin and the coldness of the tongue sliding in his mouth.

Naruto pushed the brunette away from him terrified.

"You!" he yelled, backing down. He picked a knife from the table and directed it to Sasuke. "What do you want from me? Stay away!"

Sasuke straightened himself and wathed the blond carefully. There was something wrong with him, the wide eyes, the trembling hands, the desperate reactions.

"You stopped me from getting my revenge. I will never forgive you!"

_What was he talking about?_ Sasuke paused, eyeing the knife carefully then Naruto. _He clearly could not be afraid of him; he hasn't done anything that serious. Unless..._

"Do you remember me now?" he suddenly asked.

Naruto blocked, then his eyes narrowed, clearly furious. Sasuke took this as a yes. But he now knew who the blond was seeing, and he felt his stomach tightening. Why was Naruto confusing him with his brother?

"What do you want from me?" Naruto repeated, shouting by now, clearly losing his mind, while going backwards once again. Sasuke watched him carefully, thinking. The blond was clearly a strong person and if he decided, he could easily put Sasuke down and beat him to a pulp. But his agitated mental state stopped him from thinking.

"Do you know who I am?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto's eyes widened, surprised, reslising that he was confusing reality with a took this chance to slapp the knife off his face, while grabbing the blond of his collar and slapping him hard.

"Wake up, you idiot!"

Naruto swayed under the blow, clearly not expecting it, but his eyes were clearer when he recovered and the fear was knees buckled under him and he collapsed on the floor, trembling and confused. Sasuke hugged him and kissed his forehead. Naruto didn't react at first, but then he started crying, silently, his heart breaking as every minute passed by. Sasuke continued to hold him close, swaying as if calming a child and gently patting his back.

"It's fine, it's fine", he chanted.

He leaned his chin on the other's head, and let him cry until he fell asleep. Later on he picked the other up and dragged him to bed, tucking him under the blanket while he slept. He looked so peacefully asleep.

_What has my brother done to you_, he thought as a chill ran down his back at the thought.


	10. Chapter 10

Hey guys. Sorry for the delay. I'm sure you can understand my reasons, I had to review my story once again and make some corrections and adjust the plot again. It's settled for now and I am happy with where this is going. I hope I made this chapter interesting enough for you. Thank you for all your reviews and please continue to write them for me, I just love them so much, no matter how mean they are :D Until later, enjoy!

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><p><strong>10. Questions<strong>

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><p>"Has something happened to him?"<p>

"No, Sir," the figure in the doorway answered calmly.

He would not betray Sasuke. He has thought about this ever since he has left his house. He has never seen the brunette so careful and so loving towards any other person since his parents died and his brother left. This could be his chance to find happiness and he will not ruin it, especially since Sasuke has entrusted him with his secret. Minato was a criminal, but from what Sasuke has told him, it seemed he has started attending a school and was trying to make a life and bury his past. Maybe telling Sasuke about him about his past has not been a good idea since the loved the blond so much, but on the other hand, he would be better prepared in case something happened.

"Then why did he call you?"

Kakashi kept his eyes on the floor as the person on the other side of the room watched him carefully from the shadows for any sign that he might be lying or any reaction that shouldn't be there, his eyes sparkling red, his voice emotionless.

Sometimes, Kakashi was really glad that his face was covered. He could easily hide his expression when it really mattered.

"He needed me to sign some papers," he answered calmly.

The red eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"...and I wanted to check on him" he continued.

"Oh really? And how was he doing, my little brother?"

The voice lacked any concern, despite talking about a relative.

"The usual," Kakashi answered, trying to sound neutral.

There was no answer to his statement and he starting to feel tense. Has he been found? Sasuke has pretty much been the same for the past years, always trying to have as little contact with him or anything related to his brother as possible. Despite the fact that Kakashi has become his guardian, Sasuke has barely relied on him, sending most of the forms to be signed by post and never accepting any money.

Except for the few times when the teen has called him to attend to some school parenting meeting, this was probably the first time he has called Kakashi to his home with a private matter.

He was unsure as to why the two brothers were not talking to each other. One could say, it could be the fact that Itachi was officially dead or that he was part of the mafia. Ever since their parents died, the two brothers have been separated. Sasuke has become the official heir of the company, but in fact all was run by person who was responding directly to Itachi, while his little brother had no implication whatsoever.

However, Kakashi suspected a possible third reason which he sometimes refused to think about it all. But as a doctor he could not deny the truth. He has become Sasuke's official guardian when he was 13. Until then, the boy has been living alone. But it was also during that time that Itachi revealed himself to his brother. The first time he saw Sasuke, a week later after the two have met and he has officially become his guardian, there was something odd about him, in the way he moved, reacted, spoke. This all showed signs of trauma and some sort of physical abuse. Now, when he checked him he seemed to be ok, no concussions, no bruises, nothing whatsoever. Sasuke never spoke of it once so he never asked what happened exactly and never brought it up.

Kakashi had no obligation towards the boy. He could just say the truth and save his skin. However, the look on his face from that time when he first saw him, made him decide. If Sasuke has found happiness, then he will protect it for as much as he can.

"Very well. Thank you, Kakashi. You may leave."

Kakashi bowed his head slightly and turned to leave. Itachi has accepted things far too easily. He will investigate further. Kakashi could only hope that the time before they will find out will be a bit longer. Because when they will, Minato will no longer be safe and Sasuke will only suffer.

* * *

><p>He felt warm. He could hear the faint thud of a heart beat and the slow breathing of the person near him. He cracked an eye open seeing the lines of a white porcelain neck. The arm of the person was slung over him, like an embrace. He raised his eyes, seeing the pink lips of a small mouth, the elegant contours of the chin, the small pointed nose and the long black eyelashes of the person sleeping. Soft ebony hair was contouring the face of the person, completing the perfect portrait and contrasting the whiteness of his complex. His hand dared forward, touching, feeling the coolness of that skin, the softness of those lips, the silkiness of that hair. And then he touched his own face, marvelling at the difference. He felt like a child. He had to push these emotions out of his head.<p>

He could not love Sasuke.

He has fallen asleep in Sasuke's arms in the previous night. He has been in shock, unable to think, unable to control himself. He felt ashamed. He hasn't had one of these moments since he has killed Slash, the main source of terror in his life. Somehow, the memories of the night he destroyed the Red Flares had been hazy to him until now. He has blamed it on the adrenalin of the moment, never suspecting he had forgotten such an important moment. He has been found by Keeper that night. He could remember the worried face of an old man with long white hair and some strange red paint on his face, he could remember the faint lights of the ambulance and the hospital and someone shouting at him to stay awake, to be strong.

Then he was released from hospital with a key to his old apartment where he found his papers of his old self. When Keeper has asked him about his attacker, he couldn't answer. Now that he thought about it, Keeper said it must have been Blaze and he believed it without thinking about it.

But it wasn't him. Blaze was almost finished that time; he was running for his life.

It was another person who did it, someone who shouldn't have been there that night.

Who would have thought that this person could be so close to the person he loved? Either Sasuke's brother was still alive, or the brunette had a double personality and was hiding a secret just as dark as his.

He pulled away, untangling himself from the incredible stubborn hands that seemed to refuse to let him go. He turned back, being faced with black eyes which were regarding him wide awake. He stared back annoyed, realising why he had been unable to get away.

"Let go! He ordered.

He saw his reflection in that perfect blackness - a wall to Sasuke's soul which let nothing to be seen beyond the surface. But the blackness was soft, like the kiss of the night, showing the love and the care the teen was feeling.

"I will never let you go", he whispered softly.

He smiled innocently.

Naruto found himself staring dumbly in his eyes. Why was this guy so damn cute, so damn innocent? He just couldn't turn away. Every time he stared in those eyes, he was drowning more and more into them. He smiled at the thought. The more he told himself he had to keep away from the other, the closer he got.

Sasuke was taken aback by the sudden change. This expression of Naruto was so beautiful, so warm, so full of love, that no painting could capture it. His eyes were clear like the crystal blue of the sea, sparkling in so many shades of bright and dark blue, like revealing something and hiding something else. He has never seen him so carefully from so close up before. His eyes were struggling to take in every detail, like he was some rare precious view. He reached out and touched the thick hair always sticking up, in all directions, the tanned skin, feeling the surprisingly soft texture, tracing the faint scars he has on his cheeks, the strong veins of his neck feeling small scars and irregularities in the skin, his innocent curiosity making Naruto amused and accepting the intrusion.

Each touch became a memory; each scar was a story, a shard of Naruto's life.

Surprisingly, Naruto touched his face in turn, and then slowly, inched forward, shyly locking their lips in a soft kiss, then deepening it. The brunette loved the touch of that mouth, the intimate things it could do, the thrill every kiss would give him. He moved closer, desperate for the warmth of the other, while he felt strong hands wrap around him.

Then the magic stopped and Naruto pulled away, abruptly breaking the kiss, then he turned the other way, refusing to look at the other teen. He shouldn't be doing this. But the brunette was so damn desirable; it was so easy to just take what he wanted from him that it became hard to control himself.

On the other hand, Sasuke didn't want this to stop, so, as in a queue he rolled over the blond, sniffing at his neck like testing a pray, before planting a sweet kiss on one of the deeper scars he found, then going down towards the collarbone. He could feel Naruto shudder under him, but he didn't push him away. When he raised his head, he couldn't help but grin maliciously. The blond had his eyes half open, full of lust and need, his mouth slightly open, breathing hard, his hair messed up, looking sexier than in Sasuke's wildest dreams. His head was slightly tilted backwards, revealing the expanse of bronzed skin - so inviting. Sasuke felt like devouring the blond in front of him. He has never seen him so vulnerable or so sexy before. He sought another kiss, delighting in the feeling of warmth, so different than what he knew, so beautiful, so perfect. The thrill of being so close made his heard beat faster, his movements more desperate. He needed this and he needed it now.

Then the world turned upside down and he found himself looking up at clear eyes once again. Light was falling over Naruto's face from the side, hiding half of his face, leaving only his eyes visible.

Those eyes were alive with fear and desire. It was like a reminder that this angel also had a dark side which was why he has fallen from heaven, which was why his wings were clipped. His eyes followed every shadow and every light, and the line where they both met. If he was darkness, and Naruto was light, then that line would be the closest they could ever get to being together, but unable to touch as none of them were allowed to cross the border. It was looking at each other through a glass wall, unable to break through. He smiled. Such a ridiculous thought. He would break that wall and he would break that border and he would go to his side no matter where he went.

A moment has passed. Naruto who has been watching him smiled, as if knowing his decision. He leaned close and he kissed him on the forehead, softly and then pulled away. He had to stop this before it could get worse. He had to control his lust. He got off the bed and headed in the shower.

Sasuke shivered at the sudden loss of warmth and protested loudly.

"Shower then breakfast" Naruto answered and locked himself inside.

He had to clear his mind. Control.

* * *

><p>Sasuke heard the lock of the bathroom and the shower being turned on.<p>

He got off the bed himself and walked in the small kitchen, looking for some food to eat. There was barely anything in the small kitchen. The cupboard contained two plates, a bowl and a pot, one spoon, two forks and several knives. The fridge was empty except for some eggs and corn. However, in one cupboard, he found a life storage or cup ramen and some bread.

No wonder the blond was so damn thin and getting sick so easily. This food had no nutrients, nothing.

He cooked some eggs with corn and ate, waiting for Naruto to join him.

Moments later, Naruto came out with a towel wrapped around his waist. Sasuke kept his head in the plate at the beginning, trying to be respectful. But curiosity won over in the end and he turned his head, slightly. Just one glimpse.

"You can take a shower as well, if you want" he said.

The brunette nodded slowly, but Naruto wasn't sure he registered his words. His mouth was wide open. He smiled, embarrassed and turned around, looking for some clean clothes in his wardrobe.

Sasuke was unable to tear his eyes away from the blond. There were a lot of scars. The worst, decorated his chest: several angry red bullets near to where his heart should have been, along with a few other on his right shoulder. Now he could see them better. There were several other serious cuts on his arms and his stomach. The guy has been stabbed several times. But despite it all, he was looking as one of the most beautiful men alive. Naruto was tall, his body lean and his muscles well defined, his skin bronze like he has been sitting on the beach all his life. He was the perfect model with the perfect body. Sasuke wondered why he never saw this perfection until now. All the baggy, loose clothes were hiding the blond's thin frame. If he could, he would throw away his entire wardrobe and dress him in something nice and tight so he could stare at him all day.

Imagine all those details he could sketch and include in his paintings of his angel. His wounds and scars only made him more dramatic, more believable in Sasuke's story. But his story was no longer fiction in Naruto's case. He was truly not part of this world, of Sasuke's world. He was a hero and a killer, someone who lost all faith in others and took his own life and revenge in his own hands, eradicating all evil in the process. He was mad, an angel of death and an angel of light as his heart was pure and he has not been swayed from his purpose all this time.

"Ehem..." Naruto coughed politely.

Maybe he was thinking too much into this. Their eyes locked for a second, and Sasuke suddenly remembered what he was meant to do.

"Umm... aaaaah... I don't think I can take a shower, I have no changing clothes"

"I'll give you a shirt if you want to"

Sasuke nodded.

"Thanks. But first, breakfast is ready. I can take a shower after."

They ate in silence, Sasuke taking this as an opportunity to look around the room better.

He noted that the house was just as empty as the kitchen. Aside from the basic furniture, the blond had half of his room filled with boxes of paints, oils, brushes, canvases, paper, cardboard, frames, glue, and all sorts of materials needed for painting on oil and paper. His paintings were deposited in a special glass box in a corner and Sasuke could see they were already taken off their frames and stacked one on top of the other, without any thought whether the paint will crack. One should not treat his paintings so carelessly. The other things he noted were black boxes of different sizes, arranged where the books should have been, with different numbers and letters on them, near his desk.

"What are those?" he wondered.

"Which ones?"

Damn, he's been speaking out loud again.

"The black boxes. You seem to have a lot of them. There were some in the kitchen on the fridge as well, I think."

"Ahhh... well...guns and knives"

Sasuke turned to stare at him incredulously.

But it was nothing unusual. It just proved that the problems he was involved in were not the ones a normal teen would have.

"Do you carry them with you all time?"

"Of course. I even have them at school, just in case."

Sasuke nodded. Was this what it meant to be in a gang? He has kept himself away from that part of the world all this time. Things like guns and fights were still alien to him. Yet Naruto has been wounded so many times has seen so many people die, he has been s close to the gates of heaven God knew just how many times and was still able to stand and continue fighting.

Despite it all, he had the courage to step into this world and integrate with people of his age. Not only that, but he was a good painter and some of his paintings were exhibited in the museum. Compared to him, what was he? A coward who chose to step aside and do nothing all his life except feel sorry for himself. Because he has been too scared to face his brother or stop him. The past was gone. He should get over it.

The brunette set his plate down and waited. Naruto finished a few minutes later, taking his time and he picked the plates and took them back.

"Coffee?" He asked.

Sasuke nodded.

"Two sugars and milk please"

"Sorry, I ain't got any milk"

"It's fine, just sugar then"

A few seconds later, Naruto came out with two cups, handing one to Sasuke.

They drank in silence, each waiting for someone to start. Naruto was always the one to crack first. So he launched in a storm of questions, eager to find out more about his enemy.

"Is your brother still alive?" he asked.

"Yes"

"Where is he?"

"I don't know"

"You're his brother"

"He is only my brother in name," Sasuke answered bitterly, avoiding eye contact. "I don't know anything about him and I don't even want to know"

"..."

How do you know the doctor then?

Sasuke looked really displeased with all these questions.

"He's my guardian"

Silence.

"Do you know he's an underworld doctor and he used to work for Blaze?"

"Yes, I know"

"Did your brother appoint him as your guardian?"

"I think yes. I never asked, but that seems like the only possible conclusion"

"So you just accept any stranger as your guardians and don't ask them any questions..." Naruto concluded.

"He was sent by my brother! He would never do me any harm."

"How do you know?"

No answer. Sasuke couldn't just tell him that his brother was an extremely scary person.

Naruto didn't insist anymore on that part.

"What is your brother's name again?"

"Itachi."

"Itachi...When was the last time you saw him?

"A few years ago" He forced himself to remember those horrible memories. "He visited me one night after my parents died, in our old house. I was happy to see him alive. We had an argument. After that he left and I haven't seen him since. The doctor appeared a week later with all the paperwork, telling me Itachi has decided to make him my guardian"

"Do you know Kakashi is working for most of the time at the moment?"

Sasuke shook his head.

"It's a new group. They are mostly killers. Assasins. They are called the Crimson Cloud. The leader is unknown and nobody has ever seen him except his advisor. My guess is that Itachi might be that leader. Nobody knows him because he's a dead man and he wants to keep his existence secret."

"..."

"Do you have any idea what he's planning? Any idea at all?"

His piercing eyes bore into black and Sasuke looked away guilty.

"Why do you care? I thought your purpose was killing Blaze not my brother's business"

"It has just become my business as it affects me directly as well. Your brother almost killed me. Don't you think I'd at least like to know why?"

"I cannot help you" Sasuke declared.

"Or you do not want to"

Sasuke faced him, a stubborn expression on his face, like that of a determined child to keep a secret.

"Tell me your story, he ordered changing the subject."

"There is nothing more to tell then u probably already know from the newspapers and the internet."Naruto argued.

"I want to hear it from you."

He sighted.

"My parents were killed in an arson attack when I was 5. A year later, I changed my name and moved in the mafia, in order to get closer to the boss so I could kill him. As you probably have realised, I have failed, because of your brother when I was closest to succeed. He was the one that shot me. "

His hand shot to his chest reflexively, touching the spot absent minded.

"I got it all that night. My plan was perfect. The last person standing was Blaze. I wanted to tell him about my parents cries when they died. Those cries have hunted me for years. I wanted to tell him that his entire precious organisation was in ruins. I wanted to lock him in that place and let him burn, like my parents... then your brother appeared. He said I ruined his plans..."

Sasuke remained silent, thinking. His story was very much similar. He then decided to share it as well no matter how much pain it brought to him. It seems they both dreaded talking about their dead loved ones and each recounting of the story was like a fresh would in their already fragile hearts.

"Our parents were also victims of corruption and political struggle in our company. They were killed in a car accident when I was 8. You know we specialise in designing high security systems for big companies, banks and even the military and secret services. We have some important clients and our work is highly appreciated and therefore widely used. After they died, Itachi took over the company from the shadows, appointing his men to do his tasks. I saw him for the first time 4 years later. That was when I learned he was alive and also that the head of the company was working directly under him. He explained he would take good care of me and the company until I am old enough to lead it. It was also during that time that we had the most orders and we designed the most systems for several banks, two large microchip companies and a military base in the capital."

Naruto remained silent, taking in this new information. Security systems. If Itachi had access to these codes he could obtain anything he wanted at any point in time without even trying. Money, guns and information.

"If he has access to all those codes..."

"You don't suppose..."

Naruto nodded.

"He could very well take over the country."

Sasuke shook his head terrified.

"Why would he do that? He has no reason." He asked.

"He does. The system took away his family. That should be enough for some." Naruto smiled, thinking about himself. "You have to get back your company. You have to change those codes and keep the new ones safe. That might stop him for a moment. I'll have to go back and track him using my own methods."

Sasuke looked at him terrified. Then he shook his head and looked away.

"I can't", he murmured.

"What? Why?" Naruto asked darkly.

"I can't. I can't stand up to him."

Naruto grabbed him by the shoulders, his cold indifferent facade forgotten for a moment as he shook the brunette.

"You have to; you are the only one who can do it."

Sasuke was startled momentarily by the sudden burst of emotion. This blue eyes were so alive, sparkling clear, the veil that was clouding their brilliance finally clear for a moment. Then sasuke looked away shaking his head forcefully.

"I can't!"

"Why can't you?"

"Because..."

Sasuke bit his lip uncertainly. He has never told anyone about this and he definitely didn't want to tell Naruto.

"Sasuke, it's going to be okay. He won't touch you again. I know you will stop him"

Sasuke raised his head, his eyes wide in shock, unable to accept what he has just head. Naruto was smiling, one of those rare smiles, his eyes saddened by the truth.

"Did you think I would not notice?" he asked in a soft voice.

Those brilliant blue eyes that could see so clearly right into his soul. No wonder Sasuke loved Naruto so much. Naruto was his sun, ready to wipe away all the fears, something so precious given the ordeal he has been through. But Sasuke still couldn't do it. His fears were still haunting him even after so many years.

"What happened? Tell me. And don't lie to me!"

Naruto's expression was serious and stubborn. Sasuke would not get away without giving a full satisfactory explanation.

He inhaled deeply trying to still his nerves, and then let the bomb drop.

"I was raped by my brother when I was 12. I have never seen him since."

Sasuke closed his eyes, not wanting to see Naruto's shocked expression. He felt so ashamed and dirty. He has lost everything that was precious to him that night, when his brother has walked in through his doors after being declared dead, and gone for such a long time.

His beath caught up in his throat and his body stilled as he felt warm arms around him and he was suddenly pulled forward in a tight embrace. He felt tears welling in his eyes and he couldn't help but cry. Cry like he has never cried in his life. He has carried this with him for so many years, always so afraid. He felt like a great weight has been lifted off his shoulders. He was crying for his sadness, for his loss and for his relief.

Naruto just stood there with him a warm expression on his face, soothing him with calming words, until the brunette calmed enough. Thinking back on all those meetings, all those conversations. He has pushed Sasuke away so many times but he always came back. Even when Naruto thought he has finally given up, the brunette never let him go.

And now Sasuke has given him his most precious secret along with the burden he has been carrying all those years. He felt like he could help this fragile person mend the wounds in his heart that have been left bleeding for such a long time. But could Sasuke be able to sustain Naruto's pain and bring him back on the other side of the line, back into the sun?

* * *

><p>"You have to go back. As soon as you can. Leave school if you have to. I will go back a well, to try and solve this once and for all."<p>

Sasuke watched Naruto alarmed.

"Where will you go, what are you gonna do? Are you gonna go back to killing and fighting?"

"I'm afraid I have to. After all, not everything in this world can be solved with words and the law does not apply to everyone"

Sasuke felt his heart tighten.

"What if you die this time?

"Don't jinx me you bastard! I won't die that easily. You should be more worried about yourself. When will you go back?"

"I will go this Monday. What about you?"

"Tomorrow."

"Will I see you again?"

"It's probably best you don't. Once you finish and have all the codes changed and stored, here" -Naruto handed him a piece of paper with a name and number -" Call this person. He will tell you what to do. Help you if you need it."

Naruto smiled, his eyes taking in all the little details of his friend. All these peaceful memories will be his refuge in the days to come, keeping him sane and his spirit unbroken.

"I guess I'll see you when everything's over", the blond muttered in a small voice. He might never see the sunlight, the blue sky or Sasuke, once he returned to the other side. Still, it was something to hang on, something for his stone cold heart. He didn't belong here. His heart was still there, buried in the darkest confines of hell, and he could never cross the other side until he got it back, until he got his revenge.

Sasuke instead grabbed him and kissed him fiercely, committing the softness of those lips, the sweet taste and the movement of their tongues in harmony with each other to his mind and then pulled away. _The brilliance has gone, those eyes once again clouded and bleak_, he thought.

"Come back alive" he ordered.


	11. Chapter 11

So that's why I need to finish everything today.

The old man watched him with an unreadable expression then sighted.

"You know you could always walk away from this. You barely managed to get your life back"

Naruto smiled painfully.

"What life?"

Mr Hunter shook his head. He didn't like this whole situation one bit. Naruto had one fierce determination. He will not give up until he will see his revenge through.

"I guess I have no choice. I will have to give Keeper a good beating the next time I see him."

* * *

><p>"That is what I learnt from Sasuke. I believe he has access to high end military equipment and a lot of money to finance his ideas. I do not know his goal but he has to be stopped."<p>

Naruto spoke quickly in a hushed voice, watching his back wearily as he headed home. His muscles were trembling with exhaustion but he was satisfied.

"So, as you said, Sasuke is going to try and take care of that part of work. You shouldn't have left him to go there alone. What if something happens to him?" said Keeper's voice on the other side of the phone.

"I do not believe Itachi will do anything to him. However others might. But I cannot be seen in there. I'm sure the building is filled with Itachi's minions."

"True. Still, I will send one of my agents to guard him. While they might not harm him, they may want to restrict him. Having someone on his side, taking care of him, won't do him any harm. Plus he will blend in perfectly."

"Thanks Keeper. I'm gonna disappear tonight. Some things have been off lately, too many strangers on my street. I should go before it's too late."

"I'm still thinking of sending someone with u this time. I have one excellent agent I have been personally training. I could have her accompany you. Unlike last time, they now know it's you and they will know where the blow is going to come from. It's not gonna be as easy."

"Thanks but I have to do this alone. Why don't you send that person to Sasuke instead?"

"I have the perfect agent in mind for Sasuke already. It's you I'm worried about."

"I will be fine. I will see this through."

"Fine. I let you go, but you have to report back to me every week. If I do not get any word from you in 2 weeks, I will bring the whole department after you."

"As if you could do that."

"Believe me I can. Now do not forget the agreement."

"Fine!" Naruto answered, annoyance clear in his voice.

Somewhere else, his protector smiled, relieved. Now that the hardest part was over, it was time to begin preparations.

* * *

><p>"He got out of Minato's apartment this morning. Both of them walked together a bit then they kissed before walking in different ways."<p>

Itachi smashed the glass in his hand at the news, cutting his hand then threw the remainder in the nearest wall before picking a tissue and cleaning his hand.

The guy in front of him gulped.

"Thank you", he said, his voice calm but deadly. The man bowed and retreated fast, not wanting to be the receiver of his boss' wrath.

Kisame watched him amused as Itachi's eyes sparked red with anger. Iachi rarely expressed his emotions, however, when it came to his little brother, he was always affected. As the remaining glass was cleaned from his hand and the blood stopped to some extent, Itachi returned to glare at Kisame, his face once again a dark mask of total indifference.

"Kisame, I believe I have been patient enough. I want Minato's head on my table tonight."

Kisame grinned maliciously.

"As you wish my lord," he bowed, and then left the room.

Kisame couldn't contain his excitement as he closed the door behind him. His hands were shaking with the need to kill. Itachi always pleased him, by giving him the toughest challenge. The demon Fox, the most notorious assassin of the Red Flares, who has become even more famous than Slash. His nerves were tingling.

He loved Itachi. He loved him so much, that he would do anything for him. How could he not. Itachi was the only person who ever allowed him to bring his dreams to life. Without him life was too boring to even live.

Itachi has allowed him to nourish that need to kill and trained him to become his top assassin - a privilege for Itachi trusted him and he was one of the fewest who knew his inner thoughts and what hid behind the mask. Itachi didn't have a heart. Kisame had no idea how it happened, what kind of life he lived or what caused him to be like this. But nothing could replace Itachi and in this organisation that he created, a person like him was indispensable. Everyone followed him willingly, admired him and aspired to be like him. Whether it was fear or loyalty, nobody knew as Itachi never talked about his other subordinates and it became a policy to never disclose personal information or business amongst themselves. Everyone reported straight to Itachi. And he protected his subordinates, though never directly. So they all loved and worshipped him and that's why they were so efficient. Once Itachi said they will rule the world. Everyone believed him. And everyone followed.

As he got to his office- room, he called all his subordinates.

Shortly after his room was filled with their top notch people. Kakauzu was a master at strings and an excellent marksman, suited for capture, Deidara, their youngest member - was an expert bomber, Kimimaru worked with poisons and needles and finally Hidan - he was an expert with knives, something he thought will be crucial since Minato was an excellent close range fighter and he was a knife expert as well.

"Okay minions, we are going hunting tonite." He produced a picture from his pocket which he placed on the table ad pinned it with his knife. "Minato Namikaze. Make sure not to damage his head. Boss wants to have it brought to him tonight so I want to make it beautiful."

The others laughed.

Five pairs of eyes watched him with excitement seeing the target.

"Any preference?" asked Hidan, his thumb caressing the edge of the knife.

"None. You're allowed to use any method necessary."

* * *

><p>Really sorry for lateness; I wanted to sort the story a bit before releasing to avoid future confusion. I hope to make it a bit clearer this time.<p>

Thank you for your support.


	12. Chapter 12

So that's why I need to finish everything today.

The old man watched him with an unreadable expression then sighted.

"You know you could always walk away from this. You barely managed to get your life back"

Naruto smiled, but his smile did not reach his eyes.

"What life?"

Mr Hunter shook his head. He didn't like this whole situation one bit. Naruto had one fierce determination. He will not give up until he will see his revenge through.

"I guess I have no choice. I will have to give Keeper a good beating the next time I see him."

* * *

><p>"Security systems and access codes. I know this from Sasuke. I believe he has access to high end military equipment and a lot of money to finance his ideas. I do not know his goal yet."<p>

Naruto spoke quickly in a hushed voice, watching his back wearily as he headed home. His muscles were trembling with exhaustion but he was satisfied.

"So, as you said, Sasuke is going to try and take care of that part of work. You shouldn't have left him to go there alone. What if something happens to him?" said Keeper's voice on the other side of the phone.

"I do not believe Itachi will do anything to him." Sasuke was after all his most preious brother.

"But others might." Keeped countered.

"Still, you know I cannot be seen in there. I'm sure the building is filled with Itachi's minions."

"Okay, I'll keep an eye on him."

"Sasuke's work is crucial. Please send someone to guard him and help him. They might not want to harm him, but more like restrict him. Have someone in the IT team and the production line as well, maybe someone in the administration, with access to more private files."

"Don't you worry about it. My men are already on the lookout for anything suspicious. If Sasuke can get new info, I'll take action immediately. Until then, we must remain under cover. I'm more worried about you than him or anything else right now. Please let me help."

"No! Please do not interfere. This is my task and I must carry it alone.

"But Naruto..."

"Please respect out agreement, Keeper!" Naruto interrupted, forcefully.

"I have one excellent agent I have been personally training to aid..."

"Our agreement, Keeper!" Naruto repeated, stressing the words. "You promised you will not interfere. Send that agent to Sasuke. It will help him more than help me."

"I cannot let you go freely like this. I need some sort of insurance that you are alive. Please understand, I'm the only one standing between you and my bosses grabbing your ass and having you locked for life or sent somewhere on the other side of the world."

"I thought you were the top guy in there."

"Insurance, Naruto!"

"I cannot say anything at the moment." The blond answered annoyed. "I can try and keep to a regular two week update but cannot guarantee."

"Weekly update."

"I don't want to be caught!"

"Okay, then as many times as possible, but no longer than two weeks."

"I will try."

And you will succeed, otherwise I will come for you and afterwards it won't be exactly pleasant."

"Fine! Anyways, by the time you would have found me, I would be long dead, so no worries there."

"You are an idiot! I will set up a secure line for you and send u some details later."

"Thanks. And please don't forget Sasuke!"

* * *

><p>"He got out of Minato's apartment this morning. Both of them walked together a bit then they kissed before walking in different ways."<p>

Itachi smashed the glass in his hand at the news, cutting his hand then threw the remainder in the nearest wall before picking a tissue and cleaning his hand.

The guy in front of him gulped.

"Thank you", he said, his voice calm but deadly. The man bowed and retreated fast, not wanting to be the receiver of his boss' wrath.

Kisame watched amused as Itachi's eyes sparked red with anger. Iachi rarely expressed his emotions, however, when it came to his little brother, he was always affected. As the remaining glass was cleaned from his hand and the blood stopped to some extent, Itachi returned to glare at Kisame, his face once again a dark mask of total indifference.

"Kisame, I believe I have been patient enough."

Kisame made to pour him another glass of wine which the older Uchiha picked gingerly, smearing its surface with red and drinking. His gaze was entirely passive as he watched the red droplets falling on the glass surface and landing on the table with a soft sound.

"Sir?"

" I want Minato's head on my table tonight."

Kisame grinned maliciously

"As you wish, Sir," he bowed, retreating.

* * *

><p>Kisame couldn't contain his excitement as he closed the door behind him. His hands were shaking thinking about the identity of his new prey and its reputation. Itachi always took care to please Kisame, by saving the toughest challenges for him. The demon Fox, the most notorious assassin of the Red Flares, who has destroyed one of the 5 clans in the underworld in one night! His nerves were tingling.<p>

Kisame loved Itachi. He loved the brunette so much, that he would do anything for him. How could he not. Itachi was the only person who accepted Kisame for what he was: a killer and encouraged him to pursue his destiny. Not all the people of this world are born to have a decent life. Kisame was born to be a killer. It brought him pleasure, it made him happy, it was just as much his talent and his occupation as an artist would be talented to paint and would practice it every day. Itachi just gave him a place who allowed Kisame to do his work. Itachi gave him a life where his need to kill was accepted.

In return, Kisame has offered his entire loyalty to the Uchiha and he was one of the fewest who knew the brunette's inner thoughts and his only weakness which was his little brother. Itachi didn't have a heart. Kisame had no idea how it happened, what kind of life he lived or what caused him to be like this. But the Uchiha believed that his heart was trapped within his little brother. It was such a romantic and ridiculous thought, especially coming from such a cruel man, but Kisame accepted it, because aside from this one little thing that said Itachi had some human roots, Itachi was a monster. And he was also indispensable to the organisation he created, as he was the only one who knew its purpose, its secrets and where he was going.

Kisame also knew that most people here were strangers to each other and never spoke amongst themselves, but somehow, they were all controlled by the Uchiha. That alone made Itachi amazing and feared by everyone. That alone made Kisame willing to do anything for him.

* * *

><p>As he got to his office- room, he called all his subordinates.<p>

Shortly after his room was filled with their top notch people. Kakauzu was a master at strings and an excellent marksman, suited for capture, Deidara, their youngest member - was an expert bomber, Kimimaru worked with poisons and needles and finally Hidan - he was an expert with knives, something he thought will be crucial since Minato was an excellent close range fighter and he was a knife expert as well.

"Okay minions, we are going hunting tonite." He produced a picture from his pocket which he placed on the table and pinned it with his knife, waiting for everyone to take a look before continuing. "Minato Namikaze. Make sure not to damage his head. Boss wants to have it tonight so I want to make it beautiful."

The others laughed.

Five pairs of eyes watched him with excitement seeing the target.

"Any preference?" asked Hidan, his thumb caressing the edge of the knife.

"You are allowed to use any method necessary." Kisame answered, grinning.

* * *

><p>Uploading now some already written bits; still working on that great finale. I hope I get it out on time. Thank you for your support!<p> 


	13. Chapter 13

He was painting. It was quiet, almost too quiet and even for a day in that part of the town. In what seemed like the faintest and most delicate lines, the portrait of a sleeping person was taking form on the canvas in front of him. He wiped his hands off the black pain he used for the finishing touches of those charcoal eyes and the raven hair and stood back smiling. It was beautiful but not even as close as the person himself.

Naruto has never painted a living person before and he found it difficult as his memories shifted every now and then and he wasn't sure how the shadows moved or how the expression changed with every flinch.

"That's quite beautiful."

Naruto froze.

Sensing no movement he slowly turned in the direction he heard the voice from, towards his open window finding a person sitting there, smiling. If he was surprised his face didn't show it. A tall guy with translucent slightly bluish skin was leaning from the sill of his window. The man was the closest human resemblance to a shark, with small dark eyes and his pointy teeth looking threatening when he grinned.

Without asking any questions, Naruto made for the knife on the side of the canvas but stopped when he felt the barrel of a gun pointed at his head.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you", the shark guy called in a sing alike voice.

_When has the second person sneaked near him so quickly?_Naruto's eyes caught two others downstairs near the staircase leading to his little flat and he knew what this was. Except he didn't know who sent them.

"You're surrounded, kid. And don't underestimate us." The guy who was pointing the gun at his head said.

"Hey, Kisame, have you seen this?"

Another voice called from behind.

Naruto turned to find a third guy standing in his room, the window open behind him. This one was blond, with long hair and a really crazy look in his eyes but he was probable not much older than Naruto himself.

"Not bad kid," he declared, inspecting the painting closely. "But this is amateur stuff. Real art is about capturing that explosion of fear and pain, right before the person fades away, don't you agree?"

Naruto held his breath as he saw the madman pick a knife from his sleeve and sticking it into the canvas, tracing s long cut all the down till the frame.

"Oi, ain't that who we think it is?"

The shark guy who appeared to be Kisame nodded.

"You shouldn't have done that, Deidara. Boss would have been happy to receive it as a bonus, especially since it involves his little brother."

_So they were sent by the older Uchiha!_ Naruto felt his blood boil, bending slightly for his boots where he kept some emergency gear.

"Lie still kid," the gunner warned, "pressing the barrel tightly in his back."

It was too late. Naruto picked the tip of the two knives and suddenly ducked, swinging to attack the gunman. The dark haired man, used his gun to defend, and Naruto took this opportunity to retreat, aiming for the blond kid, Deidara. _This is payback for his painting_, he thought as he swung his knife, cutting the fabric of the blond's cardigan with its tip, as the other dodged.

There was a short beeping sound and before Naruto could do anything, there was a loud explosion, cracking the windows and damaging the floor and filling the whole room with smoke.

In the confusion, Naruto kept low, watching for any sudden movement and looking around his flat for anything useful. He spotted his sword just as Kisame attacked him, sending some well aimed blows, which Naruto managed to partially block, and partially be thrown in the nearest wall. _This guy was a professional fighter_. He grasped his sword and made for the windows, shielding his face from the glass.

Naruto fell hard on the pavement, rolling to break the fall, and ran. He's been found, his lair destroyed, he had not had any time to prepare any traps and he was outnumbered.

He ran, down the road at full speed, until he was hit by what appeared to be a needle. He wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't for the stinging: almost as bad that of a bee. As he turned, he had to dodge another few aimed at his shoulders, sent by the white haired man who was following.

He saw the other three not far behind and just as he prepared to run, a bullet flew close to his face. If he turned his back now, he would be hit. He used his sword to dodge moving back slowly but the others were soon close enough.

More bullets and needled flew around him. Naruto couldn't help but admire the skill of his attackers. They aimed for blind spots and together they made their attacks extremely hard to dodge, especially when they fired simultaneously. But his eyes were trained. Mr Hunter has played with him with white bullets and every time one hit, it damn hurt. He changed the angle of the sword slightly, one bullet hitting a car, causing the alarm to burst to life.

These guys were really trained. As Kakuzu paused to reload his guns, the white haired guy ran close to him, his hands fitted with what seemed like claws. Kimimaro managed to scratch his skin slightly and the stinging that flared in his arm proved the claws to be drugged in some way.

Naruto used his sword's length to keep the man away, but he was not very good at it. The red haired man, Hidan used this opportunity to launch his attack as well. They were both really fast but Naruto managed to dodge their most dangerous attacks, ending up with scratches. Naruto soon had to abandon his sword though, picking his knives, in order to fight the red head who was a professional with knives. But it was Kimimaro he was really worried about with the stinging which was starting to turn numb.

A whistling sound that sounded like a signal, made the two disappear and Kakuzu once again started shooting at him. Naruto dodged, moving around aimlessly, wondering why the guy was shooting so leisurely when he was so accurate a moment ago. Was the goal to keep Naruto from using his sword? Naruto pulled back and didn't notice until a moment too late, the bleeping red of the tiny balls that were now surrounding him.

He started running into a nearby side street but didn't make it as the explosion pushed him painfully into what seemed like... a web? His clothes were instantly cut, the thread piercing skin from the force of the throw and he was tangled, unable to move. The invisible thread was cutting away from all sides, some dangerously close to his neck. He read about it, people coming at high speed and a thread cutting them in two. Naruto tried moving his hand to cut away at the thread as Kakuzu appeared from around the corner aiming at him.

Pain did not matter anymore, any cut could be mended. Naruto pulled his sword and cut through all the thin steel threads, dodging the bullet aimed for his head and he ran forwards, using his sword to attack the gunner. Kakuzu used his barrel as a shield but the sword cut through. God bless those Nagamitsu swords for their sharpness. The blade pieced his attacker's shoulder cutting through ligaments and stopping in bone. Naruto pulled his sword backwards, delivering the finishing blow, blood splashing his clothes and his face.

Naruto would no longer get out of there alive. He knew it as he saw Kakuzu still and, as in a queue, a rain of needles started falling. Naruto pulled backwards, once again cutting though threads, leaving a few behind undamaged for his pursuers, and kept running. He was greeted with several bombs, throwing him backwards from where he came and once more, he was tangled in threads. How did they appear so quickly? The guy making them was nearby.

Hidan appeared next. Naruto watched with satisfaction as the guy could not advance either due to the threads. Kimimaru tried with needles again, several hittingNaruto and the pain blurring his mind. This was some tranquiliser. As he swayed, the threads came loose and Hidan was upon him moving with lighting speed. Naruto was forced o once again remove his sword and use the knives to defend but his movements were slowing. He focused to stay awake, just as Kimimaru assaulted him again, with his claws and another bomb sent him flying. They were using the same formation. Naruto got up shakily, all his clothes shattered and filled with blood, trembling from the numerous cuts on his entire body. If Sasuke would see him right now, he would be so upset.

Naruto smiled, remembering the brunette bend and kiss the bullet marks on his chest. The damage his brother has done, he was asking for forgiveness. Such a gentle soul. He has cried when he saw his scars. And Naruto has been so upset because the brunette has found out his secret, but Sasuke obviously cared and was really sad to see them.

Naruto didn't realise initially how much this affected him but he didn't want to damage this body anymore. Now look at the state of his skin. He struggled to focus, but he couldn't see anything through the smoke rising from the street.

It was strange that there was not a soul on the streets. Not a car passing by, no police, no nothing. Surely someone would have called the authorities by now. Why was nobody coming? Was this staged, have they planned it beforehand?

Just then he heard the rattle of metal scraping the floor and turned to see Kisame with what seemed like a bat with iron spikes, with cutting edges pointed inwards. Just then he picked the thing and rested it on his shoulder. He was smiling, unable to hide his excitement, but his movements were slow, deliberate, meant to scare his victim.

"Like my sword? I think the two of us will be evenly matched."

_Sword? _Naruto chuckled.

"Looks more like some toy from some girly horror story for me. Is that plastic?" He asked sarcastically.

Kisame only smiled, unaffected.

"Would you like to try it yourself? Thought you might not be able to state your conclusion afterwards."

With a laugh he sprung forwards, charging towards the blond, his eyes alive with excitement.

Naruto saw him coming, but was not fast enough to dodge. He managed to barricade most of the damage but the claws dug into his clothes, cutting his clothes and taking pieces of skin and muscle. He bit his tongue, stifling a cry as the sword came off, bloody and with pieces of cloth hanging from it. The pain helped him wake a bit, but his legs were still not as fast.

Naruto dodged several times again, but was unable to attack. Damn that poison. He would have been so much better. He tried to move away to assess the situation, but the blue shark would not give him any moment, always coming back and tearing at his flesh. He saw from the corner of his eye, the other three emerged from the alley of strings and traps, but didn't approach. They were watching.

Kisame turned mad, grinning and laughing with each strike, taking more of Naruto's shredded top until noting remained but his broken bloodied skin. Still Naruto fought on and kept struggling, with all the cuts and the pain. Pain kept him awake and they will not take him down so easily.

Then one of his knees buckled under him and he lost his balance. Despite the pain, the drugs were now circulating full power in his blood stream, or the lack of it. He was bleeding massively and he was exhausted. Kisame took this as a sign to stop and pout.

"Aww. Done so soon? And here I thought I could have more fun."

The others came closer, but made no move to attack. Naruo relaxed, feeling no threat from them, and focused on the opponent in front of him. His sight was hazy. He couldn't rely on fair play anymore. He had to end this soon.

His expression might have changed because Kisame smiled broadly.

"A battle of demons. How epic." He murmured.

Kisamee charged, closing in the distance rally fast. Naruto swallowed hard, waiting for the right moment, to leap forward. Their swords crashed forcefully, Naruto angling his thin blade to block the other in its spikes, as he pulled a knife from his boots. Kisame untangled his sword, realising what was gonna happen. He left himself wide open. As Naruto was about to thrust the knife in his lungs, a hand appeared out of nowhere and blocked him. He felt a needle piercing his skin in his neck and the harsh spikes clawing at his skin, ripping the flesh off the bones. He crashed on the floor with a dull thud, his eyes gazing aimlessly. The spike that was now piercing his neck was dulling his senses. He was at the mercy of his attackers, but at least he could no longer feel the pain. His body felt so weak and so tired.

What followed was Kisame pinning Kimimaru off the wall with force, smashing and hitting him numerous times in the face and the gut.

"NO- hit-ONE-hit-INTERFERES-hit -WITH- hit- MY -hit- FIGHT !"

The thin man made no move to protest as he crashed on the ground, blood tickling down from his mouth and his shoulder where the clawed sword has ripped his flesh mercilessly.

Kisame turned to look at the blond who was barely breathing.

He bent, still shaking with anger and anxiety. If Kimimaru had not interfered, it would be him lying down on the floor instead of Minato.

"Don't think this is over", he muttered.

He got up and hit Naruto hard in the ribs, then turned his attention to the others, as he lit a joint and picked his phone.

"Bring the van," he ordered. "One is down."

He then turned to the other idle men. They avoided his gaze as Kisame passed by them, walking towards the back alley where Kakuzu was lying unconscious. Now this was a mess. How was he gonna explain to Itachi that a kid managed to beat them up so badly.

* * *

><p>Finally this is done. I will come back with more soon.<p>

Thank you for your support. Please review.


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